Hello and welcome to BetterHelp! My name is Jesse Marez and I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, licensed in the State of California since 2003. I received my Bachelor's Degree in Psychology from the University of California, Davis, in 1995. I earned my Master's in Social Welfare degree from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in 1997 and have worked primarily in clinical settings as a social worker, therapist and a clinical supervisor. Over the years of my practice, I have cultivated an ability to respond to my clients personally and individually while establishing therapeutic rapport by using motivational interviewing, client-centered therapy and Jungian and existential psychology. I draw upon my training and experience to ensure a safe and secure therapeutic space with room for creativity. For example, I like to pull in my knowledge of and passion for Jungian archetypes from Star Wars, Marvel, DC, anime and mythology. However, client-centered means we start with YOU and we begin with where you are and what you need and are asking for.
I have worked with children, adolescents, families, and adults facing a variety of behavioral and psychological challenges and issues. Because I have worked in a number of different settings such as a child therapy clinic, an adoptions agency, a psychiatric hospital and a prison, I have experience working across age, gender, race, ethnicity, religion and socioeconomic background. This provides me with the clinical and humanitarian touchstone for my practice. My clinical orientation is cognitive behavioral (CBT) and client-centered therapy with a specialty in Trauma Focused CBT. Having over 8 years of clinical supervisory experience, I am also well-versed in psychodynamic and humanistic psychology. I feel the strongest part of my therapy is something my supervisor told me during my licensure supervision. He said, “Jesse, before your clients care what you have to say, they have to know that you care.” He went on to say that he believed that I have a unique ability to let my clients know I care. As you are looking for the right fit for your needs, I want you to know that I take that advice to heart and use it in every encounter with my clients.
SPECIALTIES
• Trauma
• Mood Disorders
• Anxiety and Stress
• Family Dynamics and Relationships
Years of experience: 25
Additional areas of focus: Addictions, LGBT, Relationship issues, Family conflicts, Grief, Intimacy-related issues, Eating disorders, Sleeping disorders, Parenting issues, Bipolar disorder, Coping with life changes, Compassion fatigue, ADHD, Adoption and foster care, Body image, Caregiver issues and stress, Co-morbidity, Codependency, Communication problems, Family of origin issues, Family problems, First responder issues, Forgiveness, Impulsivity, Isolation / loneliness, Life purpose, Men's issues, Mood disorders, Multicultural concerns, Panic disorder and panic attacks, Post-traumatic stress, Social anxiety and phobia, Young adult issues
Clinical approaches: Client-Centered Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Existential Therapy, Jungian Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Solution-Focused Therapy, Trauma-Focused Therapy
VA LCSW 0904015437
CA LCSW 21363
These quotes represent just a few of the many positive reviews that we have received for Jesse Marez. We don't pay anyone to provide their review and they are all made voluntarily. Some people's experience receiving therapy with BetterHelp might be different.
Jessie is great, kind, thoughtful, prompt, and knows his stuff, he is very insightful and encouraging.
Written on Dec 06, 2021 after therapy with Jesse for 8 months on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, relationship issues, trauma and abuse, self esteem, and coping with life changes
I’ve been working with Jesse for a couple months now and he’s literally the best therapist I’ve had in years. I’ve worked with different therapists on and off but I’ve had the most progress with Jesse. I always feel valued, heard, and seen during our sessions. He made me believe how healing therapy is. My confidence has gone up more, I’m managing my anxiety better, I’m learning how to set better boundaries, and I’m working on healing my traumas. He goes above and beyond for his clients. I used to be very reluctant about opening up and sharing my thoughts even with a therapist but he’s been so patient and he really built that safe space for me to open up. I’ve been encouraging more friends and family to give therapy and BetterHelp a try because Jesse really made a huge difference in my life. This almost feels like I’m writing an ad for BetterHelp, but I’m just really grateful I’ve been matched with a therapist that caters to my needs the way my therapist does.
Written on Oct 28, 2021 after therapy with Jesse for 6 months on issues concerning stress, anxiety, sleeping disorders, and self esteem
Jesse has been nothing short of incredible. He has managed to wipe away my previous bad experiences with bad therapists and actually help. He listens, is extremely knowledgeable, and provides great perspective. Jesse provides great life advice, both for things mental and not.
Written on Sep 24, 2021 after therapy with Jesse for 5 months on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, sleeping disorders, self esteem, and adhd
My counselor Jesse had been amazing.. I'm dealing with trauma related anxiety and depression and he has made this pain I'm going through easier to understand and is giving me tools to cope and heal. I am so greatful for him
He listens and his style of communication and counseling help me feel more at ease .. it's much easier to open up and talk about really painful sensitive issues.
Written on Apr 23, 2021 after therapy with Jesse for 2 weeks on issues concerning stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, grief, self esteem, career difficulties, and coping with life changes