|
Jessica Darling Wilkerson is a Marriage and Family Therapist Registered Intern #IMF69783
Under the supervision of Joe R. Taylor, LMFT #mfc46406 at Chico Creek Counseling. |
|
What is an MFT Registered Intern?
After graduating with a Master's degree in Psychology, the state of California wants to make extra, double sure that you are qualified to sit one-on-one with people and help them while they're at their most vulnerable. California wants to make sure we don't have a bunch of quacks running around, and that's a very good thing.
This means that after all the hard work and long hours of graduate school, we must perform 3,000 hours of providing therapy under the license of a therapist who has been working for at least two years (the therapist who supervises me has been in business for over a decade). After finishing the 3,000 hours, we are then qualified to take the board exams to become Licensed Marriage & Family Therapists.
At this date (August, 2016), I have accumulated approximately 3,000 hours of experience as a therapist, waiting for the hours to be approved by the BBS, and I'm studying for the Ca State Licensing Exams.
This means that after all the hard work and long hours of graduate school, we must perform 3,000 hours of providing therapy under the license of a therapist who has been working for at least two years (the therapist who supervises me has been in business for over a decade). After finishing the 3,000 hours, we are then qualified to take the board exams to become Licensed Marriage & Family Therapists.
At this date (August, 2016), I have accumulated approximately 3,000 hours of experience as a therapist, waiting for the hours to be approved by the BBS, and I'm studying for the Ca State Licensing Exams.
Why would I want to see an intern for my therapy?
An intern has pretty recently finished schooling, and is primed with all the recent data and findings in the field. With a "Joi de vivre" they are fresh and enthusiastic to do whatever it takes to make sure you get the best quality help and they work hard behind the scenes to ensure each time they meet with you they are ready with the knowledge and interventions to help.
The cost to see an intern is usually considerably less than to see a licensed therapist, but in a way you're getting a two-for-one deal. At my office, the cost to see a licensed therapist is $120-140. The cost for a registered intern is $100. However, each week the intern meets one-on-one with their supervising therapist (mine is Joe Taylor, LMFT #MFC46406) to discuss the best avenue to take for clients before the next session.
The licensed therapist is held to the same confidentiality standards that your therapist is held to, and is able to provide valuable resources. He makes sure that what we're working on and the tools I'm giving you is the most effective, and he also makes sure that I know about all the newest training opportunities available. Once licensed, it's not often that therapists meet regularly to brainstorm effective techniques between one another - this is a pretty special and valuable dynamic between supervisor and intern - and it really works to your advantage as the client!
The cost to see an intern is usually considerably less than to see a licensed therapist, but in a way you're getting a two-for-one deal. At my office, the cost to see a licensed therapist is $120-140. The cost for a registered intern is $100. However, each week the intern meets one-on-one with their supervising therapist (mine is Joe Taylor, LMFT #MFC46406) to discuss the best avenue to take for clients before the next session.
The licensed therapist is held to the same confidentiality standards that your therapist is held to, and is able to provide valuable resources. He makes sure that what we're working on and the tools I'm giving you is the most effective, and he also makes sure that I know about all the newest training opportunities available. Once licensed, it's not often that therapists meet regularly to brainstorm effective techniques between one another - this is a pretty special and valuable dynamic between supervisor and intern - and it really works to your advantage as the client!
What makes you special as a therapist or intern, Jessica?
I am passionate about helping others. I have had my own share of trials and tribulations through this life, and I have learned how to come through them not just surviving, but thriving. Some of this is due to my temperament as a person with a positive outlook, but much of this is due to the skills and techniques I've picked up through my schooling and my mentors. I attend every training opportunity, read constantly, and practice the skills in my personal life that I teach to my clients during our sessions.
I'm trained in EMDR for trauma processing. I have found many clients have successfully been able to resolve deep wounds from auto accidents, traumatic pregnancies and births, history of abuse (sexual, physical, and emotional), death of a loved one, painful grudges from relationship pain from friends or spouse, surgeries, and more. For more detail on EMDR see my blog post or read what I wrote over on Chico Creek Counseling's website.
I have specifically and purposefully sought out the very best-of-the-best supervisors to mentor me how to become the kind of therapist with the skills and ethics that reflect my own character. Some interns just get a job wherever they can to get their hours done as quickly as possible, not me. I know that upon emerging from graduate school I was still maliable as a counselor and I wanted to ensure the best life possible for myself and for my future clients. Because of this I have worked under the best: Rayna Bertolucci, LCSW; Jeannie Early Jacobs, LCSW; and now Joe R. Taylor, LMFT.
Rayna specializes in Imago Therapy as a private practice therapist in Redding, and also supervises at a non-profit in Red Bluff. Jeannie is a specialist working with children and teens. She has a private practice in Redding and also runs two non-profit counseling agencies - one in Redding and another in Red Bluff. Joe is specialized in PCIT - a parenting training course which he is qualified as a trainer, but also provides therapy to a broad spectrum of individuals and couples, while also providing marriage classes at the church he attends. I hope you can see how well rounded my mentors are and how that has been influencing me as a clinician over these past 3,000 hours.
I also hope to have an opportunity to sit and talk with you at some point in the future. A person is not meant to carry a heavy burden alone, I cannot solely lift it off of you, but together we can move mountains.
I'm trained in EMDR for trauma processing. I have found many clients have successfully been able to resolve deep wounds from auto accidents, traumatic pregnancies and births, history of abuse (sexual, physical, and emotional), death of a loved one, painful grudges from relationship pain from friends or spouse, surgeries, and more. For more detail on EMDR see my blog post or read what I wrote over on Chico Creek Counseling's website.
I have specifically and purposefully sought out the very best-of-the-best supervisors to mentor me how to become the kind of therapist with the skills and ethics that reflect my own character. Some interns just get a job wherever they can to get their hours done as quickly as possible, not me. I know that upon emerging from graduate school I was still maliable as a counselor and I wanted to ensure the best life possible for myself and for my future clients. Because of this I have worked under the best: Rayna Bertolucci, LCSW; Jeannie Early Jacobs, LCSW; and now Joe R. Taylor, LMFT.
Rayna specializes in Imago Therapy as a private practice therapist in Redding, and also supervises at a non-profit in Red Bluff. Jeannie is a specialist working with children and teens. She has a private practice in Redding and also runs two non-profit counseling agencies - one in Redding and another in Red Bluff. Joe is specialized in PCIT - a parenting training course which he is qualified as a trainer, but also provides therapy to a broad spectrum of individuals and couples, while also providing marriage classes at the church he attends. I hope you can see how well rounded my mentors are and how that has been influencing me as a clinician over these past 3,000 hours.
I also hope to have an opportunity to sit and talk with you at some point in the future. A person is not meant to carry a heavy burden alone, I cannot solely lift it off of you, but together we can move mountains.
