Welcome Jess Marcev to Drishti Bend!
We have another new therapist to welcome to the Drishti Bend fold, Jess Marcev! Jess has her Masters in Social Work and comes to our practice with a specialization in children, teens and young adults. She also has a passion for working with marginalized populations, including the LGBTQ+ community.
One of Jess’ many strengths is creating an environment where kids and teens can feel heard and seen. Instead of taking the leader role in the therapeutic relationship, Jess lets them take the reigns. She finds this empowers them and helps them find their voice. This is exactly why she went into therapy, to facilitate the process of finding confidence, identity, and voice.
We’ve shared the statistics of youth facing mental health challenges during the COVID pandemic, and having Jess on board to help this population is so important. As with many therapists, she is seeing more anxiety and fear in children. They are worried about older adults in their lives and the health impacts they could experience. Jess talks about using validation and empathy to address these concerns:
“Parents have a tendency to just comfort and say not to worry. But with a therapeutic relationship, it helps to validate their feelings and remind them that they have a voice. There’s also the opportunity to educate the parents about how to have these conversations.”
In her work with young adults, Jess sees a lot of anxiety and depression. This is a transitional time period and her work revolves around helping clients have a better sense of who they are, who they want to be, and accept that. She sees a lot of young adults experiencing shame about who they are and not reaching their potential. Jess works to normalize what they’re experiencing.
A unique aspect of working with children and teens is the parent involvement. Before working at Drishti Bend, Jess worked in a residential treatment facility for youth. She recalled seeing many parents experiencing shame about sending their children there and asking for help.
“The work is in normalizing this and strength based work. You’re being proactive as a parent, and your kids are learning skills. It’s the same with marriage counseling—do it before you have conflict. They’re learning skills to use down the road. The choice to seek help is really brave.”
If Jess sounds like the right therapist for you or your child, she is now accepting new clients! Though she works with youth, she also is open for working with adults across the lifespan. Contact us to get started with Jess!