Jessica Drennen (She/Her), LCSW

Jessica Drennen (she/her) is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in North Carolina with 14 years of professional experience helping children, adolescents, and adults navigate life transitions and emotional challenges. She centers relationships - both the connections people have with others and the relationship they have with themselves - as a foundation for healing and growth. Jessica welcomes direct conversations about difficult topics and creates a respectful space to explore issues that often feel overwhelming, including trauma, substance use, identity concerns, and persistent anxiety or depression.

Her practice addresses a broad range of concerns from stress and grief to addiction, parenting challenges, and intimacy-related issues, with attention to family dynamics, attachment, and identity matters such as LGBT concerns. Jessica integrates evidence-informed strategies while honoring each person's lived experience, encouraging clients to lead the work and move at a pace that feels right for them. She aims to support people in building coping skills, improving communication, and finding greater meaning and stability amid life changes.

Taking the first step toward change often requires courage, and Jessica offers steady support and practical guidance throughout the process. Her approach blends empathy with concrete tools so clients can explore sensitive topics, process difficult emotions, and pursue a more fulfilling life.

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Care

Jessica uses client-centered therapy to place the person's experience at the heart of the work - she listens closely, reflects what matters most, and supports clients in finding their own solutions and strengths. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is used to identify and adjust unhelpful thoughts and behaviors, offering practical strategies for managing anxiety, depression, and stress. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills are applied to build emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and clearer communication, which can be especially helpful for relationship difficulties and intense emotions.

Choosing the best approach is a collaborative process. Jessica works with each person to understand their goals, preferences, and needs, and she tailors methods over time so therapy fits the individual rather than forcing a single model on everyone.

Online therapy offers flexibility and makes it easier to access care from home or another convenient location. Jessica provides video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to accommodate different schedules and comfort levels. These options help people stay consistent with treatment, fit sessions into busy lives, and connect with licensed professionals and therapists when in-person visits are not available.