Meet the Therapist

Hi there! I'm Jessie Sahms and I am very excited to be the school mental health therapist at Rudolph Gordon for this school year!

I have been working for Greater Greenville Mental Health since April 2019. Previously I have worked at Blue Ridge Middle School and Skyland Elementary. I love this job and being able to help children and families navigate through whatever difficulties they may be facing. I fully support school mental health because it meets kids where they are, right at school, to avoid added stressors of transportation and attendance issues. 

I am a native of Greenville and graduated from Wade Hampton High School. I attended Wofford College where I received my Bachelor of Science in Psychology, and then went to University of Kentucky where I received my Master of Rehabilitation Counseling. I also earned a post-graduate certification in Child Advocacy Studies from University of South Carolina Upstate. 

I have 2 dogs and 3 cats. I love the outdoors, most weekends I'm hiking, running, or riding bikes along the Swamp Rabbit Trail. 

My Counseling Philosophy

Through the ups and downs of life, sometimes we need someone who can listen without judgement and walk beside us as we tackle challenges within ourselves, our family, our friends, relationships, school, and other areas of life. My counseling philosophy is centered on respect, genuineness, acceptance, being present, and empathy.  Every client is diverse in their upbringing, values, identity, interests, and strengths, and I feel it is important to take a holistic approach in therapy and consider all the things that make you "you". I will work to build a therapeutic relationship that is supportive, safe, and tailored to the individual needs of each client. I may not be able to solve all the problems you face, but I hope to provide a sense of resilience, strength, and hope knowing there are brighter days ahead and a reminder that you are never alone.

Interventions are often a combination of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TFCBT), play therapy, psychotherapy, and psychoeducation.