Counseling Services In fort wayne, Indiana
Sometimes life can be tough. Things happen to us, by us, from us, and around us and this can cause emotional strain like stress, anxiety, or even depression. This is just part of life, but it can be overwhelming at times. Disabling at times. And sometimes, our inner emotional strain can affect those around us and closest to us. The good news is that life doesn’t have to be this way forever and we don’t have to try to navigate all of life’s challenges on our own.
Finding the right professional mental health counselor - to advocate for you, in what you really need - can be life changing. A good mental health counselor should be in your corner to help you work through the things that are keeping you from moving forward in your life. The reality is that mental health counselors are unique individuals, and therefore, it is important to find a therapist who is a good fit for you.
Whether this will be your first time talking with a mental health counselor, or whether you are just looking for a new therapist, Jessica Witmer would love to see if she is a good fit for you. Reach out to Jessica by visiting our Schedule With Jessica page.
“Life will bring you pain all by itself. Your responsibility is to create joy.”
Jessica Witmer, LMHC-A | Mental Health Counselor
Jessica Witmer, MA, MS.Ed.,CHt, LMHC-A provides mental health counseling services to residents of Fort Wayne, IN and the surrounding areas through in person sessions at Isch Counseling Services, LLC, a counseling center located at 7230 Engle Rd STE 305, Fort Wayne, IN. As an associate licensed therapist - working under the clinical supervision of Greg Isch, MA, LMHC - Jessica has chosen to specialize in EMDR therapy as she enjoys seeing the transformation and benefits that her patients experience.
Jessica has long been interested in helping people find healing from mental, emotional, and spiritual problems. After working in pastoral ministry and receiving an MA in that field from Bethel University, Jessica began to research other ways to help people find healing from emotional and spiritual wounds. This led her to the Cleveland Clinic where she was trained in Heart-Centered Hypnotherapy and received her certification as a hypnotheripist. From there, Jessica continued her studies by graduating with an MS.Ed from Purdue University. Today, Jessica is a mental health counselor who specializes in EMDR therapy, as she finds EMDR to be one of the most effective tools for mental health improvement.
Jessica is especially passionate about working with clients who have experienced some form of trauma, from developmental “small t traumas” like experiencing the divorce of parents or being bullied at school, to “big t traumas” such as emotional neglect, sexual assault, or physical abuse. In fact, Jessica conceptualizes issues of “emotional dysregulation” such as depression, anxiety, and even some manifestations of mood or personality disorders, from a trauma-informed lens, recognizing that the way the brain stores memories of traumatic events can have a lasting and profound impact on the nervous system and the entire mind-body.
“People often say that this or that person has not yet found himself. But the self is not something one finds, it is something one creates.”
Holistic EMDR Therapist
While Jessica uses a number of different counseling methods in her practice, she has found herself specializing as a holistic EMDR therapist which she uses in both in-person sessions as well as virtually via teletherapy.
EMDR is a popular form of mental health therapy used to help heal from traumatic events. Known as Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, EMDR provides a structured process where a patient focuses on a traumatic event while experiencing “bilateral stimulation”, which just means that both the left and the right hemispheres of the body/brain are stimulated in a rhythmic fashion, usually using a technique like the butterfly hug.
This technique, using bilateral stimulation while focusing on a traumatic memory, has several wonderful effects. One, it helps the brain stay distracted long enough to be able to focus on a trauma without being overwhelmed, and two, by helping the client stay anchored in the present moment, it helps the brain recognize that the event was in the past - and that the event is truly over once and for all! This is great news for clients who have had the miserable experiencing of feeling like they are reliving a traumatic experience, or of being constantly “triggered” by reminders of hurtful events.
If you are motivated to make big changes in your life, Jessica would love to meet with you. You can discuss your symptoms and together decide on a game-plan to tackle the trauma that may be contributing to your suffering. Jessica is forthright with every client: therapy can be a time-consuming, expensive, and emotional experience; but the results of doing the work are so, so worth it.
“It’s never too late to have a happy childhood.”
Counseling for Many Needs
Jessica Witmer is passionate about the prevention and treatment of trauma through education, advocacy, and mindbody therapy. With Master's Degrees in both Counseling and Pastoral Ministry, a certification in hypnotherapy, training in psychophysiological disorders and integrative mental health, Jessica helps her clients to heal in both mindbody and in spirit. Specifically, Jessica provides counseling services for people seeking help with:
Depression
Anxiety
Trauma
PTSD
Chronic pain
Problems with adjustment
Grief
Marital disorder
Parenting problems
Locations in Indiana
Jessica is passionate about serving her clients from Northeast, Indiana at Isch Counseling Services, LLC, a counseling center in Fort Wayne, Indiana - just a short drive from Kendallville, Auburn Indiana, Angola, Hamilton, Fremont, Lagrange, Shipshewana, Huntertown, Wolcottville, Avilla, Albion, Garrett, Topeka, Goshen, Warsaw, Columbia City, and Coldwater, MI. Jessica also conducts telehealth therapy to Indiana residents outside of these areas.