white woman sitting on ground with smile throwing colorful pompoms

Meet Jess Williams, MSS, LCSW

Anxiety & Relationship Therapist

she/her/hers

You’re stuck. You’re sick of feeling like no matter how hard you try, things don’t change.

Maybe it’s the same exhausting arguments with your partner(s), the constant overthinking about every. single. thing. or the weight of feeling unseen, unheard, and misunderstood.

You’re tired of navigating relationships that feel more frustrating than fulfilling, of battling anxiety that won’t let you rest, or of trying to fit into spaces that don’t fully accept you.

You want clarity, connection, and a way forward that actually feels right for you.

I’m here for you.

My Approach to Therapy

Therapy with me isn’t stiff, scripted, or sugarcoated.

It’s real, collaborative, sometimes funny, often deep—and always grounded in who you are. I’m here to hold space for the hard stuff, gently challenge what’s not working, and help you untangle what’s been keeping you stuck.

We’ll laugh sometimes. Maybe cry. Probably swear a little. But above all, we’ll get real.

I’m an intuitive, relational therapist who blends clinical training with a solid dose of gut instinct, metaphor, personal experience, and compassion. That means I don’t follow a rigid script. Instead, I listen deeply to what you’re saying (and not saying), and tailor each session to what actually feels helpful for you—not just what the textbooks say we should be doing.

I pull from a bunch of different tools—some that help you tune into your body, some that help you understand the stories you’ve been told (and the ones you’ve told yourself), and some that help you name what’s actually yours and what you’ve just been carrying around because the world told you to. I’ll bring in metaphors, mental imagery, and nervous system work that makes sense in real life, not just in my office. And if something feels off or confusing, we’ll slow it down and figure it out together. You’ll never have to pretend to get it, or pretend it’s helping.

Most of all? I want you to feel safe enough to show up exactly as you are—messy, brilliant, overwhelmed, questioning—and know that I’ll meet you there with care, humor, and zero judgment.

Let’s figure it out together.

Am I the right therapist for you?

There are a lot of therapists out there, and it’s super important to find someone who is the right fit for you!

I know it can feel daunting scouring the internet to find someone to work with - reading short bios, trying to get a sense of how someone works and whether you might be able to trust them. So, below I’ll just spell it right out for you!

    • You’re looking for a therapist who is real and not afraid to “go there”.

    • You’re ready to dig deep into what you’re feeling. (PS - “ready AND scared is totally okay!)

    • You want to learn how to do things differently and are committed to trying new things even if it feels a little weird at first.

    • You value inclusive, LGBTQIA+ affirming, and sex-positive support.

    • You want therapy to feel like a mix of support, collaboration, and honest conversation—not just someone nodding silently.

    • You don’t need everything to be polished—you just want it to be honest.

    • You’re looking for a quick fix, not a deeper process.

    • You prefer a highly structured, manualized therapy approach without flexibility.

    • You’re not into therapy that includes real talk, humor, the occasional curse word, or a therapist who shows up as a full human—not just a blank slate.

    • You prefer a therapist who avoids conversations about identity, privilege, or the impact of culture and systems on mental health.

  • I have made a conscious effort in my career to learn about many different ways to approach feelings, thoughts, and internal patterns, so that I can help you find what works for you. We will not just “keep trying” something that I think is “supposed to work” if you’re not feeling it - there’s always something new to try!

    Sometimes, just talking is exactly what my clients need, and sometimes we have to try some new techniques to get deeper into our work and help uproot patterns and negative thoughts going on.

    What this might look like:

    • getting to know your emotions by imaging sitting next to them on a park bench - what color is your emotion, what does it say, what does it sound like?

    • using multiple chairs in the room to explore different sides of what is bothering you

    • learning a nervous system regulation practice that seems a little “out there” until you try it and come back to session amazed that you had never known things like that existed before

    In the end - it’s all about what works best for you! I’m committed to learning and adapting to your needs to help you move forward.

  • In “therapyland” (that’s what I like to call the place where therapists live, learn, and work), there are a lot of different ideas about how much a therapist should share about themself with their clients.

    There’s truly no “right or wrong” here, AND I personally and professionally believe that for many of my clients who belong to marginalized communities, knowing a bit about who they are sharing their deepest thoughts and concerns with is vital to feelings safe.

    So I share with clients that I am a white, able-bodied, cis-gender woman, descended from largely Irish and Eastern-European immigrants, a former Catholic who now practices more earth-based spirituality, and a liberal, queer, and polyamorous person.

    I believe that our identities are crucial parts of who we are as humans. I have worked with folks of all gender identities, religions/spiritualities, sexual and relational orientations, race and ethnic backgrounds, and believe in fully opening space to explore your identities if that feels important to you.

Who I Work With

Here’s who tends to feel most at home in my practice:

Whether you’re carrying too much, questioning everything, or craving more honesty in your life and relationships—this is a space where you don’t have to hold it all alone. (Prefer the comfort of home? I offer online therapy that fits your life.)

Clinical Experience

    • Master of Social Service (Master of Social Work equivalent) from Bryn Mawr College (2017)

    • Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Delaware (Q1-0001778)

    • Licensed Clincal Social Worker, Pennsylvania (CW023341)

    • Certificate in Trauma: The Basics and Beyond, Bryn Mawr College

    • Developmental Model for Couples (ongoing)

    Various LGBTQ+ & Non-Monogamy Continuing Education Courses, including but not limited to:

    • WPATH Standards of Care 8 for Mental Health Professionals

    • Psychodynamic Therapy & Polyamory

    • Identity Development Around Sexuality, Gender, and Relationships

    • Feminist Structural Family Therapy with Polyamorous Clients

    • National Association of Social Workers

    • Delaware Psychological Association

I already believe in you. I believe you can do the hard work of learning about yourself and making changes that will bring you closer to the life you want to live. And you don’t have to do it alone.