Exploring Life & Business with Jessica Gallo

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Gallo.

Hi Jessica, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I am one of the lucky ones. I love what I do. I have been in the mental health field for nearly two decades. One of the reasons that I was drawn to this profession is that the ethics and values are so aligned with mine. It challenges me to keep integrity, as well as grow personally and professionally at every turn.

When I was in undergraduate, I interned at Child Protective Services. I bore witness on the front lines to the impacts of intergenerational trauma, poverty, systemic oppression and attachment wounding. I was so moved by this experience. Supporting children and families to be healthier and safer has always been at the core of what drives me. We need each other to be healthy and safe in order to not just survive but thrive. This thread has been present through the various roles in my career ranging from child and family therapist to school social worker to violence prevention work to intensive outpatient treatment centers to supervising other therapists.

The most recent chapter of my story has unfolded since becoming a mother myself. Everything about my work and who I am as a human being has deepened through motherhood. I am now bringing my experience to my private practice, Jessica Gallo Therapy. Today, I feel called to work with women who want to show up in their lives in a way that is more aligned, joyful, intentional and nurtured. To heal from their relationships and/or what was passed down to them in their families. Today, I support people who want to pass down a legacy of healing to their own children. If I were to sum up what I’ve learned over the years in doing this work, it is that what you heal in yourself, you heal in your family tree. And that is what I feel most excited about doing right now.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I am lucky in that I have always known that this is the work I want to do. However, there are certainly challenges that come along with it. I’ve had to adjust and pivot at some points. One of the things I love most about this field is that it allows for that flexibility. When you feel burnt out or your life is in a new stage, you.

1) are required to do your own mental health work in order to be able to show up for your own clients – this is actually one of the challenges that I love about this field because it almost requires that you do the same work you are asking your clients to. It is humbling and it allows you to grow.

2) you can find a professional niche that works for you in the current moment. I think people would be surprised by how much administration and politics challenge those working in the mental health field. It can be a lot of energy spent on the parts of your job that don’t fulfill you. For me, I have almost never felt drained by the actual work with clients. Therefore, part of the struggle over the years for me has been how to create for myself an environment where that client-centered experience can be the focus.

So, naturally, I started my own business. However, logistics of this were certainly a big challenge for someone who isn’t so business savvy. It required me to learn a lot of new skills that pushed me out of my comfort zone. I never imagined myself as a business person. Branding is not something I have ever been particularly comfortable with – especially when it comes to branding myself as a business. I was surprised at how vulnerable it felt to put myself out there at the beginning. But yet again, this experience has shifted and deepened my identity. I am still working on aspects of being a businessperson – especially when it comes to administration and marketing – but I am doing it! There is something especially rewarding about doing something you never imagined you would or could. Life has a funny way of showing us who we are.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I am a holistic psychotherapist and specialize in Women’s Mental Wellness. I offer highly customized individual therapy, support circles, workshops and referrals/resources. My specialties include attachment, trauma, intergenerational healing, perfectionism, people-pleasing, child development and maternal mental health. My clients often come to me seeking help with untangling relationship issues, challenging family dynamics, deepening identity, managing the transition to motherhood and conscious parenting, and trauma healing. I approach therapy with nonjudgment, curiosity, empathy, humor, and authenticity. You won’t have a stuffy session where I am just staring at you for 50 minutes saying, “how do you feel?” 20 times. In order to have the best outcome, I think it is most helpful to have a collaborative, engaged session and a real connection. Life can be really messy – I don’t think we were meant to untangle it all alone.

I do have some unique offerings based on my values. I believe we were not meant to get through life’s transitions and challenges alone. I encourage building community. I curate referrals and resources for my clients to support them as a full person in the real world, not just in the vacuum of our sessions. So – in working with me, client’s not only have the felt experience of a safe, secure, nurturing relationship, but they also gain access to knowledge, tools and access to other trusted professionals. I also have specialized packages and services for pregnant and parenting people – including postpartum planning and conscious parenting support.

Another offering to highlight is EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing), which is a specialized trauma therapy treatment. This is a technique that can be utilized to treat varying types of distressing life experiences, including childhood trauma, birth trauma, and relational trauma. It is pretty meaningful and effective work- google it or check out more on my website!

Why women? Women have been holding a lot for our society, for our families, and for our relationships. So at this moment in time, I have felt drawn to really support people who identify as women in caring for themselves. Women are often holding the torch for healing in their families. I think it’s time we hold space for women so that they can show up the way they want to for themselves, at work, in their relationships, as parents and in their families. As a value, I also want to help awaken joy – women deserve to experience joy in their lives at higher rates.

As I mentioned earlier when I started my business, I had to do some business development outside of my comfort zone. One thing I worked on was branding and to that end, I identified my values and goals in a more concrete way. Choice, empowerment, safety, joy, connection, and community are all pillars of the work that I do. Most importantly, my goal is always to facilitate people to feel more aligned with themselves. I want my clients to know that they can be in the driver’s seat of their lives rather than letting unconscious patterns pull them around. I know that through these pillars this can be achieved.

How do you think about happiness?
I love this question! As a therapist, people think my work is all about the hard stuff, the dark stuff. But it is just as much about calling the light into our lives as it is about unpacking the heavy stuff. I prefer to use the word joy. Happiness is a short-lived, fleeting feeling, but joy is something that can be experienced even during stressful or challenging times – it is essential! I think joy is actually a requirement for resilience.

What brings me the most joy in life is probably connection – my relationships with my family, chosen family, community and friends. Being a parent. Nature. Dancing. Laughing. Creativity. Traveling. Delicious food. Good TV. These are the things that fill me up. When I notice that I am experiencing joy, I do my best to notice that feeling and really let it soak in.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.JessicaGalloLCSW.com
• Instagram: @womens.mental.wellness
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jessicagallolcsw

Image Credits
LA Cuna Photography