Jay Semmons, LICSWA

I have always been someone who is an advocate for youth experiencing anything from challenging trauma, dealing with the complexities of being LGBTQIA+ in American society, or just coping with our classic anxiety, depression – or sometimes both! I want to not only be a therapeutic support for youths, but someone who can speak up on behalf of younger clients who still experience the power imbalance of being under 18 in a home where they are not quite a child, but not an adult yet either. In my time here at refresh I also have found working with young adults to also feel rewarding professionally, so if you are over 18 don’t feel too left out as I am taking adults as well!

In particular, I am an advocate for LGBTQIA+ youth due to the intersectionality of the lack of autonomy given to youth and the high need of being more autonomous with one’s life when living as a queer person in the United States. We are often trained not to discuss politics in therapy, but for many clients in a variety of minority groups, the political landscape and rising facism in America has only become more personal and invasive to our daily lives, making it an unavoidable reality for those unshielded by white, heteronormative privilege. I always want to be a safe, secure space where clients can examine their feelings on the world and their lives without having to get stuck in the toxic 24 hour news cycle, endless draining online arguments, or risk exposure to actively hostile forces in their community just so their voice can be heard.

I want to engage in a collaborative effort to not only help young clients grow into healthier, more independent, and capable adults, but also to be able to support clients in later stages of their life who still are going through the same issues, the same stressors, the same emotions as the youth. To be a space for anyone to find support is important to me, as long as I can find myself capable of providing that support, as I have to practice what I preach to clients and know my own limits and my own strengths well enough to find the balance between my personal life and this work that I care deeply about.

My therapeutic approach is influenced by my education as a Masters level Social Worker. I value a Strengths based approach that focuses on the intrinsic value and independence of each person. I often will begin with psychoeducation on mental health and implementing CBT for most common mental health concerns like anxiety and depression, but shift to a more personalized style as we build a therapeutic relationship together and determine what treatment can be the best fit.

In my free time, I enjoy time with my friends and family; a strong community I have nurtured over the years, where we enjoy traveling, playing dungeons and dragons, and being a supportive member of my own community so as to show up for the people who matter most to me.

I am always interested in what the client is looking to focus on. Need to hammer out the immediate issue? We will do that! Need to focus on the deeper work first? Let’s dive in! Well slowly dive in of course at the client’s pace.

The client is always the expert in my opinion. I won’t know where to start until I take time to see where the client is going and what they want to change in their life.

Consistency, collaboration, and curiosity.

Hmmm! Something that allows me to see the world and change it for the better… or Jedi Powers-  that’d be sick.

My heartiest chuckles have always been from the wild things teens and children have said in therapy. I am never ready for what the youth bring to the table, which only reinforces my belief that I am not the expert here. There is no amount of schooling or training that will prepare you for a child to look into your 25 year old eyes and ask what it’s like to be 35 years old.