Meet Jess

Founder of Dalmatian Place

MS, Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC)

EMDR trained,

AutPlay certified,

TraumaPlay certified,

Level 1 Animal-Assisted Play Therapy (AAPT) trained,

Certified Youth Mental Health Specialist (CYMHS)

Hi, I’m Jess — and I’m genuinely so glad you’re here. 🖤

Taking the first step toward support can feel really vulnerable. Life may feel overwhelming, exhausting, confusing, or completely upside down right now.

BUT you do not have to navigate it alone anymore.

At Dalmatian Place, we believe healing happens in safe connection, NOT shame.

I work with children, teens, adults, and families who are carrying big feelings, trauma, anxiety, overwhelm, grief, life transitions, or emotional storms that feel hard to navigate alone. Together, we begin spotting clues instead of judging behaviors, building safe routes back to connection, and helping scattered pieces start making sense again.

My goal is never to “fix” people.

My goal is to help people feel safe enough to reconnect with themselves.

I am a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in the state of Texas with a Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and a specialization in Trauma from Grand Canyon University. I also hold a Bachelor’s degree in Communications with double minors in Dance and Family Studies from Belhaven University, and I am currently pursuing my PhD in Forensic Psychology with a specialization in Legal Studies at Walden University.

I’m a lifelong learner and endlessly fascinated by people, relationships, resilience, and the ways our stories shape us.

But honestly?

Some of the most meaningful things about me probably aren’t on my résumé.

I’m a former homeschooling mom of five, a runner, yoga instructor, and unapologetic Peloton enthusiast. I believe movement heals. I believe laughter matters. I believe nervous systems deserve compassion. And I believe people are capable of far more healing, growth, and courage than they often realize.

And yes — the Dalmatians are very real. 🐾

As a child, I always dreamed of having a Dalmatian, so building a therapy practice that includes them feels a little bit like living inside a full-circle story. Cruella completed her therapy dog training while I was still in graduate school, and it truly feels like we grew into this work side by side. Luke brings comic relief and steady companionship, and Stitch is a wonderful playful and comforting part of the Dalmatian Place team who truly embodies the philosophy of safety before connection. It has been a blast adding a “Dalmatian bunny” to the team as well and Perdita cannot wait to hop her way into your session very soon (she really hopes you have some Cilantro with you!).

Around here, we take healing seriously… but we don’t believe healing has to feel cold or clinical.

There may be play.
There may be movement.
There may be laughter.
There may be paw prints.

But above all, there will be safety, compassion, connection, and someone willing to walk beside you through hard things.

You do not have to have it all figured out to begin.

We’ll navigate it together.

🐾