Jessie W. Starks, MA, LPC

Certified EMDR Therapist & EMDRIA Member

Somatic Attachment Therapy Certificate

Expressive Arts Therapy Certificate

Association of Traumatic Stress Specialists (ATSS) Member

I am a Licensed Professional Counselor and a Certified EMDR therapist. For more than a decade I have been working with clients who have been dealing with the impact of traumatic stress and traumatic experiences. My early work with survivors of sexual assault and intimate partner violence, and with at-risk youth and their families, facilitated my growing awareness and evolving understanding of trauma and systems that impact our respective development, relationships, and way of engaging with the world.

I received my Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Penn State University, and my Master of Arts degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Appalachian State University, along with a certificate in Expressive Arts Therapy. I currently use Internal Family Systems (IFS), Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), somatic-based practices, and Expressive Arts in my therapeutic work with individuals. My focus is on collaborating with clients to cultivate a safe space for healing, creative expression, curiosity, and growing.

I have been with clients as they learn about themselves, get in touch with their own creativity, begin to heal, and to grow. I have seen perspectives shift, expressiveness and self-compassion unfurl until the same ‘stuckness’ is no longer felt. It looks a little bit different every time, and it is a profound process to witness and be a part of, every time. Each of us has this potential within ourselves – to express, learn, heal, and grow.

On a more personal level, I am a State College native who likes to feed her soul with reading, knitting and creating, breathing fresh air and going for walks. I find myself drawn to the moments of transition when the existing season begins shifting into the next. Also, I have a strong preference for odd numbers and decline to choose just one color to call my favorite.