Jessica Hackett-Smith

Jessica Hackett-Smith is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) who helps people facing stress, anxiety, grief, trauma, and the everyday strain of parenting. She also supports those dealing with attention challenges and feelings of isolation and loneliness. Her direct approach aims to make problems feel clearer and more manageable.

Jessica draws on many years in mental health work, starting in 2004 and building a 13-year career as an LPC. She uses practical strategies such as behavior-focused planning and skills coaching to reduce overwhelm. Sessions focus on small, concrete changes clients can try between meetings.

People meet her for help sorting out parenting stress, managing attention and activity differences, and working through grief and trauma reactions. She talks through patterns that keep people stuck and then practices new ways of responding. Communication problems, guilt, shame, and forgiveness are also common topics she addresses.

Her background includes a Master’s degree in Clinical and Counseling Psychology from Chestnut Hill College and experience with behavior assessment and behavior modification. That background informs her step-by-step approach to shifting habits and routines.

In sessions Jessica aims for clear goals and realistic steps. The work tends to be pragmatic - plan, try, review, and adjust. This helps people move from just coping toward feeling more in control and connected.

How evidence-based techniques translate to online care

Jessica uses evidence-based, behavior-focused techniques that aim to change unhelpful patterns. Behavior modification involves identifying specific actions to change and practicing new routines to reduce symptoms like anxiety or disruptive behaviors. Functional behavior assessment looks at what triggers and maintains difficult behaviors, then guides a clear plan to address those triggers.

Finding the best approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will work with each person to set goals, try techniques, and adjust based on what helps most. Clients and the therapist decide together which strategies to prioritize based on needs and preferences.

Confirm the session formats offered before booking, since the original biography does not list specific formats. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy life, reduce travel time, and allow shorter check-ins when schedules are tight. It also lets people continue consistent work on parenting plans, behavior strategies, grief processing, and anxiety management without rearranging large parts of daily routine.