Jess Hundley - EMDR, family, plants and ultra running! One of Sanctuary's wonderful therapists!
This is the first of our new blog series with profiles of each of our marvelous Sanctuary Christian Counseling therapists. We will run one every Monday until we hit all of us ... so stay tuned!
This week we are featuring Jess Hundley, LSW, one of our full-time in-person and online therapists. Let's let him speak for himself ...
Question: Why did you become a therapist?
Jess: I originally planned to be a marine biologist but felt a calling to work in youth ministry. I interned as a youth pastor and found that the counseling aspect of the role appealed to me most, so I shifted gears again and decided to go to college for Social Work. After getting my BSW and working in the child-welfare field for 4 years I saw the impact of generational trauma and knew this is where I felt led to focus my career. I returned to school for my MSW and after the pandemic eased up a bit, I started providing trauma therapy and have loved being a therapist ever since.
Question: What kind of therapy do you love to do?
Jess: I see clients both in-person and virtually and am licensed in PA and MD. I gravitate towards trauma focused modalities such as Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy, Internal Family Systems, and Narrative Therapy. For clients looking for something outside of the traditional office setting, I also offer Movement-Based Nature Therapy and Horticulture Therapy.
Question: Who do you primarily help?
Jess: I typically work with adults, couples, and families, though I will occasionally work with adolescents if everyone feels like it is a good fit. I believe I am most helpful to clients who are interested in getting to the root of an issue, who want to process traumatic experiences, or want to get to know themselves a little better.
Question: What interests do you have both in the therapy world and outside it?
Jess: In the therapy world my main interests are helping people overcome traumatic experiences in their lives. My favorite thing is hearing a client say, “I’ve never thought about it like that before.” and walking alongside them as they begin to unravel the lies they have believed about themselves throughout their lives.
Whenever I have free time, I try to be outdoors. Whether that is at a park with my family, running on a trail, or tending to my garden. I believe in being a good steward of Creation and spending time connecting with God through nature by foraging healthy foods, mindfully noticing changes in the seasons, and marveling at the intricacy of plants as they grow.
Question: Is there anything else you'd like our readers to know about you?
Jess: I am an ultra-runner and am always training for some new wild race. I have a blog that documents my races and I share mindfulness tips that help me train for the mental aspects of the sport. Feel free to follow along at theultrarunningtherapist.wordpress.com.
See more about Jess on his page here https://www.sanctuarychristiancounseling.com/jess-hundley.
Jess's email is jess@sanctuarychristiancounseling.com. He can be reached at 717-200-3158, extension 6.
