Dr. Jessica Perez

Hello. My name is Dr. Jessica Perez. Personally, I am a second-generation Cuban-American Christian woman, born and raised in Miami, Florida. These aspects of my identity shape my therapeutic perspective and style. Professionally, I am a Bilingual (English/Spanish) Licensed Clinical Psychologist and the work that I do has one unifying purpose: To help others live authentically and achieve their best potential in their personal goals and relationships. As a Licensed Psychologist, I provide individual and group therapy, as well as conduct high-quality Gifted, Psychoeducational, and Comprehensive Psychological/ Developmental Evaluations across Miami Dade, Broward, and Monroe Counties. Although I have worked with populations across the lifespan, every provider develops areas of specialty or ‘niches,’ which are areas where a clinician has received additional training and can provide deeper, more advanced treatment. Below are my areas of Clinical Specialty, with regard to Therapy: Maternal Mental Health: In the post-covid world, a population that needs more support than ever are Moms. I work both individually, and in group therapy with mothers struggling to cope with the challenges they face, including during pregnancy, postpartum (including: Postpartum Depression and Postpartum Anxiety), and adjusting to the complex role of motherhood. Adolescents: During my training I worked under intensive supervision, developing strong skills in helping adolescents develop insight and skills to face an ever more complicated world. My goal is to give adolescents the tools they need to establish a strong sense of their identity, goals and values; as well as strengthen their coping skills as they transition towards independence. Infant Mental Health: I completed an APA-Accredited Internship in 2016, with a specialty in Infant Mental Health. During this intensive training year, I trained from a highly effective treatment approach (Child Parent Psychotherapy) aimed at improving Infant Mental Health and Parental Attachment. This dyadic treatment approach is identified as a highly efficacious treatment for improving the infant-parent relationship and attachment, as well as for improving parent’s ability to manage troublesome behaviors in their young child. Below are my areas of Clinical Specialty, with regard to Psychological Evaluations: Gifted and Psychoeducational Evaluations: These evaluations have the direct purpose of assessing a child’s intellectual and/or academic functioning. They do not assess social, emotional or behavioral functioning and subsequently, a mental health related diagnosis is not provided. Comprehensive Psychological Evaluation: These evaluations include and intellectual and academic assessment, but also assess other important domains of functioning, including social, emotional, and behavioral functioning. A mental health diagnosis is provided if warranted, as well as a comprehensive list of recommendations in the final report. Autism Assessments/Comprehensive Diagnostic Evaluations (CDE): Children who are identified as potentially on the Autism Spectrum by their pediatricians or neurologists are required to receive a CDE, before being approved for behavioral interventions, such as ABA. A CDE includes an intellectual, developmental, and social/emotional assessment, with specific testing measures tailored towards identifying if the child presents with symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). This assessment is offered in both English and Spanish. Therapeutic Assessment: A Therapeutic Assessment is a specialized assessment with the purpose of self-exploration and clarity. An adult may have questions about themselves that they may be interested in exploring, without wanting to invest in a comprehensive psychological evaluation. This assessment style is more flexible, allowing the client to identify the questions they want answered about themselves, and then gives them the opportunity to custom-build an evaluation 'a la carte,' that will help answer those questions. At the end of the evaluation, the client will receive an individualized letter with results, rather than a formal report that may or may not include a formal diagnosis (based on the client's preference). This letter will be reviewed together in a feedback session to collaboratively establish “next steps” in the person’s journey. A piece of advice for you, as you begin or continue your mental health journey. Finding the right fit with your therapist is important, and knowing the orientation or "style" that your provider works from could help you know if you have the right fit. Generally, I work from Insight-Oriented and Solution-Focused therapeutic models, in order to help my clients have a higher quality of life and improved relationships. While I find value in exploring the past, I very much guide my clients towards investing their energy on what they can control in the present. Outside of the office I enjoy spending time with my husband, toddler, and family. I love living in Miami, boating, and a hot cup of tea or Cuban Coffee, any time of day. I also love Harry Potter, Disney, and Broadway. While personal, I feel these details say a lot about my personality and can help you determine if I am a good fit for you or your adolescent. Please note: subsequent to the COVID-19 pandemic, all individual and group services are offered virtually. Although most psychological evaluations could be completed virtually as well, evaluations that require in person assessment can be arranged at our hybrid office, conveniently located in Coral Gables.