I'm Jessica A. Garrett M.A., NCC, LPC-S. As a Licensed Professional Counselor I have spent the last several years working with clients who struggle with Complex Trauma and Dissociative Disorders. Prior to moving to Texas I was working in Colorado. I started off as a Licensed School Counselor and transitioned to private practice when my husband had to go on another deployment. I needed more flexibility with my schedule in order to be present for our kids and animals. When I first opened my practice I started working with pre teens and adolescents. After becoming a Certified EMDR Therapist I began working with Military Veterans. Many of the clients that were drawn to my practice struggled with Complex Trauma. In order to provide as much clinical support as I could, I invested heavily in continuing education, and working with mentors as a way to accelerate my knowledge to better able serve this extremely misunderstood and misdiagnosed population. It is my goal to continue to assist individuals in ways that fit with their values, morals, and belief systems.
Credentials and Training
I obtained my Masters Degree from the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs in Counseling and Human Services in 2014. While an active duty spouse and not knowing where I might live next, I studied to be able to work both as a Licensed School Counselor and a Licensed Professional Counselor. This training instilled in me a sense of responsibility to stay current on new research and ways to help people dealing with many different challenges. The following is a list of my current licenses and certifications:
License:
TX LPC # 82724 - Texas Board of Licensed Professional Counselors
Certifications/Training:
National Board Certified Counselor (NBCC) 337018
Certified EMDR Therapist (EMDRIA) member 42993611
International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation (ISSTD) - Completed both Level 1 and Level 2 of their Professional Training Program and will start their Advance training program in the Fall of 2023.
I have also completed various continuing education in:
Trauma Model Therapy
Certified Clinical Trauma Professional level 1 and 2
Dialectical Behavior Therapy
Cognitive Processing Therapy
Cognitive Behavior Therapy
Professional Organizations:
Belonging to relevant organizations, going to conferences to hear about the latest outcomes in research, and working with experienced counselors to provide optimal healing for my clients can be achieved through maintaining memberships in the following organizations:
NBCC - National Board Certified Counselors
EMDRIA - EMDR International Association
ISSTD - International Society of Trauma and Dissociation
Making Appointments
I am Not taking new clients at this time.
Please call, email, or use the contact page on this website to discuss services. If you are making the courageous decision to seek counseling, it is important to find a good fit. Please take the time to do what is right for you.
At this time I am currently working as an Outpatient Therapist for Innova Recovery Center in San Antonio Texas. Through Innova, I am able to accept various insurance if I have availability. You can view their website at https://innovarecoverycenter.com
For my Private Practice I am working as an Out-of-Network provider and will update my insurance list as approvals come through.
If you have insurance and want to use my services, what should you do? That is what being an out of network provider means. You must first contact your insurance company to see if they will take a provider out of network. Many insurance companies will approve you if you are unable to find a provider in their network. Some insurance companies may require you to pay all of your costs up front and submit receipts for full or partial reimbursement. Other insurance providers may send you a claim form for me to bill them directly. Only by you calling and asking your insurance ahead of time will this be possible.
With private pay all fees are due at the end of each session. Even if insurance agrees to reimburse you, you are still responsible for all fees at the end of session. Please contact me directly for those rates which are based on length of session, and type of session provided. Fees range from $75 - $125. Sliding scale can be negotiated based on hardship, so please do not hesitate to contact me to discuss this option.
Presenting Concerns
Anxiety
Depression
Depersonalization or Derealization
Dissociation
PTSD
Self Esteem
Self Harm
Sexual Abuse
Trauma
Treatment Approachs
Psychodynamic
EMDR Therapy
Trauma Focused
Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
Sand Play
Somatic
Client Focus
Adolescents/ Teenagers (16+)
Adults
Veterans
LBGTQ+
Practice Policies
Client-Counselor Service Agreement
This section contains important information about my professional services and business policies. You will also receive information about the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA), a federal law that provides privacy protections and patient rights about the use and disclosure of your Protected Health Information (PHI) for the purposes of treatment, payment, and health care operations. Counseling is a relationship between people that works in part because of clearly defined rights and responsibilities held by each person. As a client in counseling, you have certain rights and responsibilities that are important for you to understand. There are also legal limitations to those rights that you should be aware of. These rights and responsibilities are described in the following sections.
Goals Risks/Benefits of Counseling
There can be many goals for the counseling relationship, some of these will be long term goals others may be more immediate goals. Whatever the goal for counseling, it will be set by the client according to what he/she wants to work on in counseling. The counselor may make suggestions on how to reach that goal, but the client decides where he/she wants to go. Counseling is an intensely personal process which can bring unpleasant memories or emotions to the surface. There are no guarantees that counseling will work for you. Clients can sometimes make improvements only to go backwards after a time. Progress may happen slowly. Counseling requires a very active effort on the client’s part. There are many benefits to counseling. Counseling can help develop coping skills, make behavioral changes, reduce symptoms of mental health disorders, improve the quality of life, learn to manage anger, and learn to live in the present.
Confidentiality
I will make every effort to keep your personal information private. If you wish to have information released, you will be required to sign a consent form before such information will be released. Records are maintained on a web based platform called SimplePractice LLC, this is a fully HIPPA compliant site and follows proper encryption protocols. No other providers have access to your records as I am a Sole Practitioner. There are some limitations to confidentiality to which you need to be aware.
1. Texas Family Cody, Chapter 261, concerning abuse or neglect of minors
2. Texas Human Resources Code, chapter 48, concerning abuse, neglect, or exploitation of elderly or disabled persons
3. Texas Health and Safety Code, Chapter 161, Subchapter K, 161.131, concerning abuse, neglect, and illegal, unprofessional, or unethical conduct in an in-patient mental health facility, a chemical dependency treatment facility or a hospital providing comprehensive medical rehabilitation services
4. Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code 81.006 concerning sexual exploitation by a mental health provider
5. A licensee shall comply with Occupation Code Chapter 109, relating to the release and exchange of information concerning the treatment of a sex offender
6. I am also required by law to release information when the client poses a risk to themselves or others
If I receive a court order or subpoena, I may be required to release some information. In such cases, I will consult with other professionals and limit the release to only what is necessary by law. If consultation is necessary to aid in providing the best care for you, your consent will be obtained and no identifying information would be shared with that person.
Technology
A separate consent agreement will be reviewed and signed by the client specifically for teletherapy services. This agreement includes risks and benefits of teletherapy, devices required, separate confidentiality concerns over technology used, back-up protocols if technology fails, need for emergency plans, procedures to verify identify, and reasons for termination if teletherapy is not a good option for the client.
Record Keeping
I will keep records of your counseling session and treatment plan which includes your goals for counseling. I am also required by the State of Texas and HIPPA to keep all signed disclosure and consent documents, copies of all email and text communications, as well as chats through SMS on the online client portal. These will not be shared except with respect to limits of confidentiality discussed in the Confidentiality section. Should the client wish to have their record released, they are required to sign a release of information which specifies what information is to be released and to whom. Records will be kept for 5 years past the date of last contact with a client.
Filing a Complaint with the State
Clients are always encouraged to discuss any complaints directly with me, however you have the right to report your concerns to:
Texas Board of Licensed Professional Counselors
Complaints Management and Investigative Section
P.O. Box 141369
Austin, TX 78714-1369
Phone: 1-800-942-5540
In case of Therapist’s Death or Incapacity
In the event that I become incapacitated or die, I have a Professional Will on file and another professional Therapist will contact you to work with you to transfer any records or files to a therapist of your choosing.
Contacting Me
I do not answer my phone when I am with clients or otherwise unavailable. At these times you may leave a message on my confidential voice mail or write me a message through the client portals secure messaging system and I will get back to you as soon as possible. My phone is answered by voice mail at all hours. It may take a day or two for non-urgent matters over weekends and holidays. If you feel you cannot wait for a return call or it is an emergency situation, please call 911 or follow the emergency procedures established during our initial intake session.
Social Media Policy
The purpose of this notice is to outline my professional policies in regards to the use of Social Media. Please take the time to read it so that you may understand how I conduct myself and respond to interactions that may occur between us on the internet.
If you have any questions regarding information in this document, please do not hesitate to bring them up during session. As new technologies develop or I begin to utilize new Social Media outlets, I will update you in writing of any policy changes.
I do not accept friend or contact requests from current or former clients on any social networking sites that I may choose to utilize. Adding current or former clients can compromise your confidentiality as well as potentially our therapeutic relationship.
I do NOT as part of my regular practice search for clients on Social Media sites, nor through search engines. Extremely rare exceptions may be made in times of crisis. This includes if a client chooses not to follow the emergency plan that we have created together, or if the contacts on the emergency plan fail to be of assistance in a crisis. Additional searches might occur if I have not heard from you through our usual means (coming to appointments, phone, SMS, email, etc.) or if proper termination notice has not been given and I have legitimate concerns for your safety.
You may find my practice on various business review sites. Some of these sites include forums in which users rate their providers and can add reviews. If you should find my listing on any of these sites, please know that I have not solicited to be there, and do not respond to any reviews whether positive or negative. Response to or solicitation of any comments would be a violation of confidentiality as I cannot confirm or deny that you are my client in any way.
Although HIPPA currently does allow unencrypted email to be utilized, I prefer only using email to arrange appointments and direct clients to read or write messages through the SMS system on their client portal as that communication is encrypted.