Jessica Cao(She/Her/Hers)

Jessica is a social worker and therapist. She has lived in east Asia, east Europe, and now in North America. She can provide services in English, Mandarin, and Cantonese. She received a master's in Social Work from the University of Chicago and a master's in Health Communication from Indiana University.

Jessica has worked with international students, 1st/1.5/2nd generation of immigrants, and trauma survivors. Her interests include eating disorders and body image concerns, sexual violence and sexual trauma, religious trauma and spirituality concerns, and difficulties in life transitions. She is now a sex therapist in training at the University of Michigan.

She adopts a multicultural and intersectionality framework in my work. This framework believes that we each have unique experiences and interpretations despite some shared labels of social identities. Based on this belief, she views therapy as a collaborative process to empower individuals in designing their own toolbox for wellness. She uses an integrated approach, meaning I may draw techniques from different theoretical approaches as long as they work. If you need, she can also work with you on a specific approach you like. In practice, she often borrows therapy techniques from CBT, DBT, ACT, somatic experiencing, contemporary psychodynamics, and integrates religion and spirituality. She utilizes client-centered, strength-based approaches toward trauma-informed treatment and believes in the power of love, compassion, and appreciation.