Hi, I am Jessika Rutledge (she/her/hers), I am a bi-racial female, licensed in the state of Florida. I have been working in the mental health field for over a decade in various capacities. I started with serving the elderly population that lived with developmental disabilities in both community and institutionalized settings as a rehabilitation therapist. I transitioned into behavioral health where I assessed and developed behavioral modification and management plans for adults and children with Autism and other behavioral disorders. As I further explored my passion for people, I planted myself in Marriage, Couples, and Family therapy. My experience with LGBTQIA+, crisis response, at risk youth, family court and mediations, substance abuse (abstinence and/or harm reduction), and domestic violence has provided me with an array of skills to best support my clients unique needs.
I am a single mother of a toddler and 12 year old fur baby named Juicy. I enjoy poetry, writing, family time, and self-care. My passion is self-love, emotional independence, communication, and all areas of intimacy. I honor relationships and more importantly value the relationships we have with ourselves. I have a direct and compassionate approach to therapy and truly believe clients are the masters of their own life. My role as your therapist is to ask the right questions, not give the "right" answers. My goal as your therapist is for each client to access healthy tools and adaptive behaviors that promote change and a life worth living.
I am a licensed therapist that helps individuals, families, and couples who are ready to do the work and perform better in their lives. I strive to serve as a guide while supporting you with healing from past hurts, inter-generational trauma, and systematic pressures by getting to the root of your restrictive core beliefs that guide your behavior, how you see yourself, and perceive life and relationships. I provide a safe and judgment free atmosphere which allows for transparency, vulnerability, empowerment, cultural appreciation, and validation.
I have learned that creating a space of listening and compassion for someone who is battling with their mental, emotional, spiritual, or physical health is incredibly powerful. It is my mission to break the stigma attached to mental illness and mental wellness within diverse populations through education and self-awareness. For so long, you've worn the mask that everything is okay. This is the first step in changing your reality. Together, we can create a new outlook on life that leads you to the best version of yourself. By being aware of our own attitudes and beliefs and reducing the bias and negative assumptions about seeking help, together change will come.
I look forward to our work together
Additional areas of focus: LGBT, Relationship issues, Trauma and abuse, Grief, Intimacy-related issues, Parenting issues, Anger management, Coping with life changes, Compassion fatigue, Caregiver issues and stress, Codependency, Commitment issues, Communication problems, Domestic violence, Drug and alcohol addiction, Emptiness, Family problems, Forgiveness, Guilt and shame, Impulsivity, Infidelity, Isolation / loneliness, Jealousy, Life purpose, Mood disorders, Multicultural concerns, Panic disorder and panic attacks, Personality disorders, Post-traumatic stress, Prejudice and discrimination, Process addiction (porn, exercise, gambling), Self-harm, Self-love, Sex addiction, Sexual assault and abuse, Sexuality, Women's issues, Young adult issues
Clinical approaches: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT), Gottman Method, Mindfulness Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, Trauma-Focused Therapy
FL LMHC MH19372