My name is Jessica A. Garrett. As a Licensed Professional Counselor and Supervisor, I have spent the last several years specializing in complex trauma and dissociative experiences. Before moving to Texas, I lived and practiced in Colorado. My journey began as a Licensed School Counselor, and I transitioned to private practice when my husband received orders for another deployment. To be present for our kids and animals, it was essential to have a more flexible schedule. I began my practice working primarily with pre-teens and adolescents. After becoming a Certified EMDR Therapist, I transitioned to working with Military Veterans. This is where my work with individuals who struggle with complex trauma became my primary focus. To provide as much clinical support as possible, I invest heavily in continuing education and working with mentors to accelerate my knowledge to better serve this extremely misunderstood and misdiagnosed population. It is my goal to continue assisting individuals in ways that align with their values, morals, and belief systems.
Credentials and Training
My journey began at Texas A&M University, where I earned a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology in 1993. After graduation, I was uncertain of my next steps and spent several years in the hospitality industry before meeting my husband. After having children, we moved to Colorado, where I went back to school and pursued a Master of Arts in Counseling and Human Services. In 2014, I completed coursework to work as a school counselor and a clinical mental health counselor.
Licenses:
TX LPC-S # 82724 - Texas Board of Licensed Professional Counselors
CO LPC # 0013131 - Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies
Certifications/Training:
National Board Certified Counselor (NBCC) 337018
Certified EMDR Therapist (EMDRIA) member 42993611
ISSTD Advanced Certificate in Complex Trauma and Dissociation (2024)
Therapeutic Modalities Include:
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR)
Ego States Therapy Level 1 and 2
Clinical Hypnosis Level 1 and 2 (ASCH)
Trauma Model Therapy
Certified Clinical Trauma Professional level 1 and 2
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT)
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Finding Solid Ground (FSG)
Professional Organizations:
NBCC - National Board Certified Counselors
EMDRIA - Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing International Association
ISSTD - International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation
ACES- Association for Counselor Educators and Supervisors
ASCH - American Society of Clinical Hypnosis
Making Appointments
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.
I am currently working on insurance credentialing. At this time, I can accept:
Cigna
Carelon
I will update this list as additional approvals come through.
If you have insurance that I am not currently credentialed with and want to use my services, what should you do? 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 you know if this is an option for you.
When paying out of pocket, your fee is due at the end of each session. Even if insurance agrees to reimburse you, your fee is due at the end of the session. Billing statements are provided as well as receipts for payment. I offer both in-person and telehealth sessions for 55 minutes at a rate of $110 per session. If you are experiencing hardship, please let me know and I will discuss options on a case-by-case basis.
In order for me to bill your insurance, I am required to submit a valid mental health diagnosis code. Insurance will only pay for medical necessity, so without a valid diagnosis, then counseling sessions will have to be paid out-of-pocket.
You are also legally entitled to a Good Faith Estimate. This law requires out-of-pocket payers to receive an estimate of expected charges. You are welcome to review your rights at www.cms.gov/nosurprises/consumers for more information.
Cancellation Policy
Appointments need to be cancelled prior to 24 hours of the appointment time in order to avoid a charge. Late cancellations (within 24 hours of appointment time) will result in a 50% charge of the session fee up to 2 hours before the session. No-showing for an appointment will result in a full session charge, and cancelling less than 2 hours before a session will be considered a no-show.
Clients will be dropped if they no-show more than 3 times in 3 months. Please discuss concerns about this policy with me. I understand emergencies do occur, and exceptions can be made on a case-by-case basis.
Presenting Concerns
Anxiety - Panic Disorder
Depression
Depersonalization and/or Derealization
Dissociation
PTSD - Complex PTSD
Self-Esteem
Self-Harm
Sexual Abuse
Trauma
Client Focus
Adolescents/ Teenagers (16+)
Adults
Veterans
LBGTQ+
Practice Policies
Client-Counselor Service Agreement
Counseling involves a professional and empathic relationship between people. It works because of clearly defined boundaries, rights, and responsibilities held by each person. There are also legal limitations to those rights that you should be aware of. The following section contains important information about my professional services and business policies. You will also receive information about the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), a federal law that provides privacy protections and patient rights about the use and disclosure of your Protected Health Information (PHI).
Goals, Risks/Benefits of Counseling
Treatment goals will be established in order to stay focused in counseling. Some of these will be long-term goals, others may be more immediate. Whatever the goal, it will be set by the client based on what they want to work on. The counselor may make suggestions on how to reach that goal, but the client decides where they want to go. Counseling is an intensely personal process that can bring unpleasant memories or emotions to the surface. There are no guarantees that counseling will work for you. Therapeutic progress is not always linear and may happen slowly. Counseling requires a very active effort on the individual’s part. There are many benefits to counseling. Counseling can teach coping skills, develop behavioral changes, reduce symptoms of mental health distress, and improve a person’s quality of life.
Confidentiality
I will make every effort to keep your personal information private. If you wish to have information shared, 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 HIPAA-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 that 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 inpatient 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 the 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 with another professional is necessary to aid in providing the best care for you, your consent will be obtained, and no identifying information will 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 identity, and reasons for termination if teletherapy is not a good option for the client.
Record Keeping
I will keep records of your counseling sessions, diagnosis, assessments, and a treatment plan, which includes your goals for counseling. The State of Texas and HIPAA also require me to keep all signed disclosure and consent documents, copies of all email and text communications, as well as chats through SMS in the online client portal. These will not be shared. Exceptions concern the 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 7 years past the date of last contact with a client. Records for minors will be kept 7 years past their eighteenth birthday.
Filing a Complaint with the State of Texas
Clients are always encouraged to discuss any concerns directly with me; however, you have the right to report 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
Filing a Complaint with the State of Colorado
Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies
Online: dpo.colorado.gov/FileComplaint
Mail complaint forms to: Division of Professions and Occupations
1560 Broadway, Suite 1350
Denver, CO 80202
Phone: 303-894-7800
In case of the Therapist’s Death or Incapacity
If 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 outside business hours. At these times, you may leave a message on my confidential voicemail or write me a message through the client portal’s secure messaging system, and I will get back to you as soon as possible. My phone is answered by voicemail at all hours. Responses may take a day or two for non-urgent matters on weekends and holidays. If you feel you cannot wait for a return call or if it is an emergency, please call 911 or follow the emergency procedures established during our initial intake session.
Social Media
The following is my professional policy in regards to the use of Social Media. Please read it so that you understand how I conduct myself and respond to interactions that may occur between us on the internet.
If you have any questions regarding the information, please do not hesitate to bring them up during our session. As new technologies develop or I utilize a new Social Media outlet, 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 site. Adding current or former clients can compromise confidentiality and interfere with therapeutic boundaries.
I do NOT search for clients on Social Media, 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 previously created together, or if the contacts on the emergency plan fail to be of assistance in a crisis. Additional searches may occur if I have not heard from you through our usual means (appointments, phone, SMS, email, etc.) or if a 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. Communication through the portal is encrypted.