EMDRIA is the governing body for EMDR and I am certified through them, meaning I have met all the requirements laid out to conduct EMDR therapy with my clients. In addition, I am trained in EMDR 2.0 and other advanced EMDRIA trainings such as being able to work with people with complex trauma.

Yes! Don’t just listen to me, listen to EMDRIA: “Research is beginning to support what EMDR therapists are seeing in their practice: good clinical outcomes. Research to prove the effectiveness of EMDR therapy online is still coming out. Initial studies suggest that yes, EMDR therapy is not only a viable option for in-person therapy but has resulted in substantial mental health improvements. This 2-Minute Medicine article ‘Online Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy may improve mental health’ and this Medical Dialogue’s article point to a recent study by McGowan et al, (2021), cited here.”

KAP integrates low-dose ketamine with structured psychotherapy via telehealth. Sessions include preparation, sometimes, a supported dosing session, and integration sessions afterward within 24-48 hours. Clients obtain a prescription from a collaborating ketamine prescriber, and all therapy sessions with Jess take place online.

Yes. I'm in-network with Aetna, Providence, and Kaiser Permanente through Headway for clients located in DC, Maryland, and Virginia. For clients in Pennsylvania, or with any other insurance plan, I'm an out-of-network (OON) provider. Many of my clients use their OON benefits to get reimbursed 50–80% per session — I provide monthly superbills, and you can check your benefits in under a minute on my Rates & Insurance page.

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is an evidence-based therapy that helps people heal from trauma by processing distressing memories in a way that reduces their emotional charge. During EMDR, a therapist guides a client through bilateral stimulation (like eye movements) while the client briefly focuses on a traumatic memory. Over time, the memory loses its intensity and the nervous system can integrate it more healthily. At Alleviate Trauma in Washington, DC, therapist Jess Stern is EMDRIA-certified and uses EMDR to treat PTSD, complex trauma, anxiety, grief, and more. EMDR is widely recognized as one of the most effective treatments for trauma recovery.

Alleviate Trauma is a trauma-informed mental health practice based in Washington, DC, serving clients throughout the DMV area — including Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. Therapist Jess Stern, LPC, specializes in trauma therapy using EMDR and IFS. She works with adults experiencing PTSD, complex trauma, childhood trauma, and trauma related to identity or systemic oppression. Sessions are available in Washington, DC and online across DC, VA, MD, and PA.

Yes — Alleviate Trauma is proudly LGBTQIA+-affirming. Therapist Jess Stern identifies as a lesbian and brings lived experience to her work with LGBTQ+ clients. The practice is welcoming of all gender identities, sexual orientations, relationship structures (including polyamory and ENM), and family configurations. Alleviate Trauma is also trans-affirming and kink-aware. Jess has extensive experience supporting queer and trans clients through coming out, identity exploration, family-of-origin wounds, minority stress, and transition-related challenges in Washington, DC and the DMV area.

Effective therapy treatments for adults with ADHD include Internal Family Systems (IFS), which helps address the shame, self-criticism, and internal conflict that often accompany ADHD; EMDR, which can process the accumulated emotional wounds from years of struggling; and coaching-integrated therapy that builds practical skills alongside emotional healing. At Alleviate Trauma in Washington, DC, therapist Jess Stern is neurodivergent herself and specializes in ADHD-informed care. She understands ADHD not as a deficit but as a different way of experiencing the world — one that deserves targeted, respectful support.

Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) is a specialized treatment that combines low-dose ketamine medicine with therapeutic support before, during, and after the experience. It’s particularly effective for treatment-resistant depression, PTSD, and anxiety. Alleviate Trauma, based in Washington, DC, is one of a small number of practices in the DMV area offering KAP . Therapist Jess Stern, LPC, holds a Certificate of Completion in Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy Theory and Methodology. Contact Alleviate Trauma to learn if KAP is right for you.

Many clients choose to pay privately — even when they have insurance — for a few key reasons. First, privacy: using insurance requires a mental health diagnosis, and that diagnosis becomes part of your permanent medical record. It can also affect future insurance applications, disability coverage, or security clearances. Second, flexibility: without insurance constraints, your therapy isn’t limited to session frequency or length requirements set by a third party. Third, confidentiality: your treatment stays entirely between you and your therapist, with no treatment summaries or notes shared with insurance companies. If cost is a concern but you want the advantages of private pay, your plan may offer out-of-network reimbursement of 50–80% per session — check your benefits on my Rates & Insurance page.