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Jessica Gilch Pesantez
About
Hi and welcome! I am so glad you have chosen to be here. My name is Dr. Jessica Pesantez. I was born and raised in New Jersey and am a licensed clinical psychologist in NJ and NY. It has been my lifelong passion to support people in improving their quality of life by getting a better understanding of themselves and what they need to succeed. I believe that each person is unique in their own strengths and weaknesses. I have worked with many people from many walks of life and embrace their worldview as they see it. I am committed to creating a space that is open, safe, compassionate and validating to you.
Over the past 20+ years working as a psychologist, I have always had a particular interest in working with youth and adults who had been diagnosed with Autism. In my job experiences, the autistic/neurodivergent clients were often not diagnosed as early as they could have been or hadn't received the best supports. As an underserved population, autistic/neurodivergent clients could improve their quality of life with better mental health supports. I am inspired to support the individual strengths and resiliencies that such individuals carry. I believe I can support clients in identifying and embracing their strengths and work together with them to feel understood and accepted.
Regardless of what life challenges clients are facing, I focus on the individual strengths and abilities of each individual. I believe that the unique relationship between myself and a client is strongest when the client feels acknowledged, understood, affirmed and simply heard. Therapeutic rapport allows me to support clients in identifying ways to more effectively approach life challenges. The focus is on the relationship that supports the client in making changes rather than specific challenges or problems. We work together to identify challenges, understand how such challenges influence life, identify individual strengths and how to access those strengths in a way to confidently make changes.
