Jessica Evans, LCSW, LCAS, Transforming Touch ® Level 1 Practitioner
Welcome!
I am Jessica, a native of North Carolina, a nerd of psychology and the human experience, and an expert in addictions, trauma, and mood disorders. I have been in the field for the past 11 years, working in psychiatric hospitals, addiction treatment centers, with eating disorders, and severe mental illnesses. I obtained my Bachelor’s in Psychology from UNC-Chapel Hill and my Master of Social Work from Florida Atlantic University. I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and a Licensed Clinical Addiction Specialist. I facilitate active, deep work after the creation of trust and safety so that my clients do not feel stuck for months.
My Specialties:
ADDICTIONS
I have worked with individuals and their loved ones struggling with various types of addictions for many years. I view addiction as not only a medical disease but also an attachment disorder. This means individuals have found a highly effective but maladaptive way to cope with life, which has resulted in changes to their brain. I also support those struggling with out-of-control and compulsive sexual behavior. I work with clients who are directly struggling, as well as their spouses, partners, and families. Additionally, I support clients who engage in ways of self-soothing that may not specifically qualify as an addiction but still interfere with their lives. Many of my clients identify with the program of Adult Children of Alcoholics and Dysfunctional Families and struggle with codependency.
Some of my favorite outcomes of addiction healing are seeing my clients create new ways of coping with painful emotions and experiences, form deeper connections with life and people, and break free from the shame and chaos cycle that addiction causes.
TRAUMA
I believe one can develop post-traumatic symptoms from many types of experiences, not just “major” traumas like car accidents. Two definitions of trauma I like are: anything that was too much, too soon, too fast, and anything that was too little for too long.
Trauma is an experience involving all of our senses, emotions, body sensations, and memories, so the healing of it should include that. To go beyond talking and thinking during our sessions, I use many types of treatments, including EMDR, Brainspotting, Somatic Therapy, Parts Work (such as IFS), Psychodrama, and other experiential methods. Using these creative and highly effective approaches allows us to uncover the "why" behind the struggle and, more importantly, move to healing the struggle.
Some of my favorite outcomes of trauma healing are seeing my clients feel more present and able to cope with daily life, make peace with what’s occurred in the past, and make changes in their life and relationships to bring more contentment and joy.
MOOD DISORDERS
I support clients struggling with depression, perfectionism, burnout, and high-functioning anxiety. Many of my clients “look good and feel bad,” or are overfunctioning in many areas of their lives but struggle with loneliness, emptiness, feeling different, and not feeling good enough. While I can certainly support by providing worksheets, apps, or videos, I believe you are coming to therapy for an experience that you cannot find on the internet or in a workbook. I support identifying the root cause rather than attempting to only solve the immediate issue so you don’t find yourself back in therapy again and again. I also help explore whether there are other contributing factors, such as physical problems, ADHD, or other undiagnosed health issues that have gone untreated and been labeled too simply as depression or anxiety. I enjoy working with those who believe they may be on the spectrum or have ADHD but were missed in childhood due to being gifted or able to mask these symptoms.
HOW I HELP
My personal experience with therapy began in high school when I was a “behavioral problem” and experimenting with harmful ways to cope. Since then, I have participated in individual therapy, group therapy, workshops, intensive therapy, and support groups. I believe that I am unable to take my clients to places that I have not been myself in terms of depth and healing experiences, so I do my own work to make sure I am showing up in a healthy place for my clients.
I treat from a strengths-based perspective, meaning I look for and utilize the innate gifts my clients have been given or have nurtured, rather than focusing on what they’re lacking. I believe that post-traumatic growth is real and possible and that all behavior makes sense in context.
I believe we were born with the ability to handle and release difficult experiences. We were not put on this earth to be lonely, in pain, and stuck. The problem is, many of us were not shown how to take care of ourselves or have a healthy relationship with our emotions, needs/wants, and bodies. Many of us were not shown how to have balance, move through conflict, and understand what healthy intimacy and love is. In sessions, you will learn how to do these things so that you start seeing changes outside the therapy room.
I provide both traditional talk therapy and a type of therapy that integrates the body and the mind called experiential therapy. Experiential therapy is a broad term, but an easy way to describe it is “show me, don’t tell me,” meaning I often have clients utilize art, music, guided imagery, props, sculpting, or role-playing to move beyond just talking about their experience. Many clients have shared that they have never seen their problems and solutions in this way and have never experienced this type of learning and healing in therapy before. I am proud to partner with the nationally recognized Onsite Workshops, a specialist in Experiential Therapy, to provide intensives for their clients. In addition to this type of therapy, I have training in and use EMDR, Brainspotting, DBT, IFS, the Safe and Sound Protocol, Transforming Touch, and Psychodrama.
I offer individual, group, couples, and intensive therapy. Intensive therapy is a great option for those who are in significant pain, aren’t seeing results in weekly therapy, aren’t able to attend weekly, or are just ready for a deeper experience. Intensives can range from 3 hours to multiple days. Group therapy is often the missing piece in treatment, especially for those who were wounded by people, a type of trauma we call relational trauma. If we are wounded in relationship, we heal in relationship.
MORE ABOUT ME
I chose social work as a profession because of its inclusivity and alignment with my personal beliefs. I love anything creative and have tried my hand at performing on stage, doing improv comedy, singing, dancing, and writing poetry. I love books, podcasts, and music. Currently, I have a playlist for every mood and time of day and have lost count after 100. I consider myself a lifelong student, and my library looks quite boring to those outside the field because they are filled with books related to learning my craft. On weekends, you can find me with my dogs and fiancé, at a concert, thrifting, making something, doing yoga, or soaking up the outdoors. I love exploring North Carolina and spending time on the ocean where I was born. I look forward to meeting you and supporting you in living the life I know is out there for you.