SJ Jacobs, MSW, LSW

I'm a licensed social worker passionate about supporting individuals living with chronic illness and pain. Experienced in providing dialectical behavior therapy and somatic experiencing therapy to individuals struggling with emotion dysregulation, impulsivity, and trauma.

I created Life Worth Growing LLC with the goal of meeting the needs of clients with chronic illness who are looking for a mental health provider who understands the complex interaction between physical health and mental wellbeing. My passion for working with clients who have various chronic health conditions started after my POTS & Ehlers-Danlos syndrome were misdiagnosed as anxiety. Life Worth Growing offers weekly support groups for individuals living with chronic illnesses including, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder, Long-Covid. Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, and Narcolepsy. Combining the group therapy element with weekly individual therapy sessions gives people space to develop a community that understands their experience while also having the opportunity to individually learn skills to cope with the distress that comes with chronic illness.

I have experience working with adolescents and adults living with mood disorders, impulse control disorders, adjustment disorders, Autism, ADHD, trauma disorders, and borderline personality disorder. My approach to therapy blends person-centered therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, somatic experiencing therapy, and social rhythm therapy. Your comfort is a priority during therapy and you are always encouraged to meet your needs during sessions. Need to eat a snack? Go for it! Want to sit with the lights off? Great! Want to sit outside during your session? Fine with me!

Starting therapy is a big step and it's normal to feel a bit unsure about reaching out to set up an intake appointment! Wondering what to expect? First you'll have a free 15 minute consultation phone call to determine if my services are a good fit for you. Then you can schedule an intake appointment which takes about 2-3 hours. During the intake, I will ask you lots of questions to get an understanding of your current mental and physical health. If needed, we can always break the intake up into shorter sessions to accommodate scheduling or discomfort sitting for long appointments. In your first session after the intake appointment, we'll go over the results of your intake assessment and collaborate to develop a treatment plan that will help you meet your goals.