A Little About Me

Jessica Lahens, LICSW

I love and take seriously my work. As a therapist, I’m incredibly lucky to witness people transform their lives for the better. It starts with small shifts which inevitably build, until one day, people stop and recognize the notable ways they have improved—to feel more kindness, be more patient, have a plan for their anxiety, improve how they deal with conflict, feel more hopeful, and on, and on. It can feel like there’s more bad news every day, but when I see the commitment people make to the hard work of therapy and the way the world becomes a better place one step at a time, it’s impossible to feel pessimistic.

While my time with families as a child custody evaluator is inherently limited, it is a meaningful opportunity to identify what’s happening below the surface for families who are stuck in difficult circumstances, and to offer pragmatic strategies to move forward more effectively. That is why I love this work and am so grateful for this calling.

I am a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker in the states of Massachusetts and New Hampshire whose career has always been in mental health. I’ve worked for various community mental health organizations across New England, providing services including outpatient therapy to adults and children. This background highlighted to me the barriers many experience in trying to address their mental health needs. My community-based work experience as well as my formal training in social work has grounded my clinical perspective as “person-in-environment.” That means recognizing that people’s moods/relationships/coping strategies may be influenced by internal factors, but are also often affected by their individual and societal environments.