About J. Cohen, LCSW
IFS Therapist
Holding Spaces Collective
Group and Individual Online Therapist in California
Come Back Into Relationship with Yourself
IFS therapy for people who have experienced trauma, feel disconnected, and
want to build more honest, connected relationships.
Jessie Rose Cohen, call me J, pronouns are (they/them). In addition to being a Clinical Consultant,Trainer, Group Therapist, and Licensed Clinical Social Worker (CA-LCSW 21802), I am a trans nonbinary and queer human, an adoptee, a sober person, a parent (to humans and dogs!), and a first-generation college attendee. I often say I’m “from two places,” shaped by the openness of California and grounded in a practical, direct Midwestern style (my roots!). I believe these “parts” of me offer a nice balance of support and skill-building.
I am neurodivergent and value sensory input. I am someone who finds meaning in water, movement, film, books, cooking, and hold a deep love and revere for IFS. Most mornings, I start my day slowly, savoring a home-made espresso and listening to a record with my dog and lots of flowers nearby!
I believe in building a life that makes room for presence, care, and connection.
Two Decades of Clinical Experience in San Francisco Bay Area
I am trained in Internal Family Systems (Level II), and integrate attachment theory, trauma-informed care, somatic awareness, and family systems into my work. I also draw from 12-step recovery, solution-focused approaches, gender-affirming, anti-bias, narrative, feminist and decolonializing frameworks. The modalities I use are not just theoretical to me. I engage them in my own life. I offer an equal balance of professional training and lived experience. I have worked hard to heal and find self forgiveness, and I want that peace and freedom for everyone. It has made me a better helper, a better parent, a better friend, a better partner. I am GRATEFUL.
I bring over two decades of clinical experience working across the full spectrum of mental health care, from direct service to leadership. I have worked in hospitals, partial hospitalization programs, community mental health settings, university settings, child and family psychiatry clinics and private practice, as well as in clinical leadership roles and supervision of up and coming providers.
Most recently, I have served as the Director of Community-Based Clinical Services and Training at the UCSF Child and Adolescent Gender Center, Clinical Director at the California Institute of Integral Studies Pierce Street Counseling Center, Curriculum Consultant for the Palo Alto University LGBTQ+ Academy and Interim Behavioral Health Director for A Better Way, Inc.
I hold a Graduate degree (MSW) in Social Welfare Policy from the University of Chicago and a Bachelor’s degree (B.S.) in Vocational Rehabilitation from Northern Illinois University. I have completed Level II training in Internal Family Systems and am scheduled to attend Level III in the fall of 2026. I see myself as I am. Loving, open, flawed, curious, and really good at helping others.
Jessie Rose Cohen’s Approach to Clinical Work | Training | Consultation
My work is rooted in a deep commitment to relational practice, supporting people and systems in moving toward greater alignment, connection, and care.
I bring both my personal and professional experiences into the room thoughtfully and intentionally. My own lived experience of trauma, recovery, and relationship healing shapes my work.
A commitment to my own growth is essential to being a therapist, and I do not ask my clients to go places I am not willing to go myself.
At the core of my work is the belief that healing and change occur when people feel seen, held, and understood within a frame of compassion. This is true not only for individuals, but also within families, communities, and organizations.
