Jessica Crowley, M.C., LMHC
Therapist

Jessica has been on the CATS Team since June 2024.

Education:

Masters in Counseling, Northwestern University, IL

Licensure:

Licensed Mental Health Counselor
LH 61458607

Certifications:

National Certified Counselor

Therapy Services

  • Children and teens

  • Parenting 

  • Anxiety

  • Depression

  • Disruptive behavior

  • Emotion dysregulation

Special Populations

  • Neurodevelopmental conditions (ADHD, autism)

  • Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health / Postpartum parents

  • Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)

  • Attachment related concerns

  • Foster and adoptive families

  • Infant mental health

  • LGBTQ+ youth

Therapy approaches

  • Cognitive-behavioral therapy

  • Behavior management training for parents

  • Foundational Theraplay Practitioner

  • Families Moving Forward Facilitator

  • Trauma-informed care

My Approach:

My approach is grounded in family systems and behavioral strategies, where I aim to prioritize parent-child/teen connections. I view the family as one of the most important contexts when it comes to a young person’s mental health - in addition to peer and school environments.  

My work has focused on children who struggle with emotion and behavior regulation. I believe that most children (and teens!) who are misbehaving are expressing some kind of need, and that figuring out that need can lead to meaningful change. I have experience working with children with developmental disabilities who are in adoptive and foster families. 

I am trained as a foundational Theraplay practitioner, working with parents and children to develop better emotion regulation and developmentally appropriate levels of independence. The Theraplay model is specific to dyadic work but is also applicable in general to work with parenting - noticing patterns that will guide how we might build self-regulation in the child and create improvements in the parent-child connection.

I also have a certification to facilitate Families Moving Forward, a parent intervention for children with prenatal exposure to substances. This parent intervention focuses on reframing our approach to a child's behaviors by focusing on the need that they are expressing, and finding ways to support the child and the parent in being successful together. I have found that these skills are applicable in my work with children and families generally. 

I have experience with cognitive behavioral interventions and trauma-informed care, which tend to influence my approach in all of the work that I do. I have experience with teens struggling with anxiety, depression, and trauma. I have found that teens benefit from staying connected with their families while developing healthy expressions of autonomy. 

I also offer a specialty in infant and early childhood mental health, which focuses on helping caregivers form close and secure relationships with their young children ages zero to 6-years old. Infant and early childhood mental health specialists focus on supporting the relationship between child and caregiver. Infants who were preterm, medically involved, or fussier in temperament can have cues that are more difficult to read. Our work together can help you better understand cues in your infant and improve emotional connection. If you are a new parent, our work can also focus on supporting your transition into parenthood.

I look forward to joining your family in supporting your and your family’s mental health!