You've taken the first step.
Go your True North today!
Therapist & Owner Jessica (DeBoom) Draughn, LMHC
Des Moines metro area therapist providing compassionate, individualized, evidence-based therapy to adults
Life is hard.
For some, it’s anxiety. For others, depression.
Trauma or other distressing experiences that feel more present than past. Struggles with food. An inner-critic driving you to exhaustion or resignation. Not believing you are capable of what you want in life, or fear stopping you in your tracks. Disconnection or loneliness. Sleeplessness. Conflicts with others. Not liking who you see in the mirror. Feeling unlovable, unworthy, or not good enough. Coping in ways that don’t work – or maybe even make things worse.
Life can be hard in so many ways.
the less it is about living your life.
You are not alone, and you don’t have to go it alone.
As a therapist, my passion is helping my clients overcome the mental health barriers that stand in the way of living their most meaningful life.
This is the reason I named my practice True North.
I would be honored to help you on your journey.
If you don't know where you're going, any road will take you there.
Individual Therapy
In individual therapy (sometimes called psychotherapy or counseling), we meet one-on-one for a series of ongoing sessions. During this process, l will assist you in exploring your current challenges and relevant life experiences, identify your goals, and help you clarify what is important to you. From there, I will provide the support and tools needed to work toward the life you most want to live.
Therapy is collaborative: you bring your expertise on you and your life, I will bring my professional expertise, and together we will find the way forward. Therapy is also active: it is not about rehashing your week or “venting” your concerns. While exploring recent events and stressors are often a part of the process, the real work is addressing how you respond to what life brings your way. Last, but not least, therapy requires work between sessions; the details will depend on the specifics of your treatment, but often includes practicing specific skills or completing agreed upon tasks.
Treatment Specialities
Trauma
Anxiety
Depression
Self-criticism & shame
Binge Eating
Emotional Eating
Stress
Relationship Issues
Sleep Problems
Evidence-Based Therapies Offered
Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT)
ACT (pronounced as the word “act”) is a mindfulness-based cognitive behavioral therapy with an emphasis on values-based living. ACT focuses on helping people develop a different way of relating to difficult internal experiences (thoughts, feelings, body sensations, etc.) while taking active steps toward living life in a way that is personally meaningful. ACT has been widely researched and shown to be effective in treating a vast range of mental health concerns including anxiety disorders, depression, OCD, and chronic pain.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
EMDR heals the impact of trauma and other past distressing life experiences. Research best supports EMDR for those with a PTSD diagnosis; however, some research supports use with other concerns including depression and anxiety when current symptoms are believed to be the result of past adverse experiences. EMDR is unique in that parts of the treatment utilize bilateral stimulation – typically eye movements, tapping/ tactile stimulation, or auditory stimulation. This helps the brain reprocess the memories to an adaptive resolution.
Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT)
Compassion focused therapy is an integrative cognitive behavioral therapy that incorporates concepts from evolutionary psychology, social psychology, developmental psychology, eastern psychology, and neuroscience. It can be a treatment of choice for those who struggle with self-criticism and shame, as it helps develop experiences of inner warmth, safeness, and soothing. It is often a helpful addition to other therapies for those who find it difficult to bring compassion to themselves or could benefit from bringing increased wisdom, kindness, strength, and support in pursing life goals and dealing with the challenges that brings.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
Dialectical Behavior Therapy is a mindfulness-based cognitive behavioral therapy focused on skill development for emotion regulation and changing ineffective behavioral patterns. This approach integrates acceptance and change strategies and focuses on the development of skills in four core areas: mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness. Originally developed for treatment of borderline personality disorder, chronic suicidality and self-injurious behaviors, DBT has been shown to be effective for many mental health concerns, including stabilization and coping skills for PTSD/trauma, depression, binge-eating, substance use, and emotion dysregulation challenges regardless of diagnosis.
Transdiagnostic Sleep and Circadian Rhythm Intervention (TranS-C)
Trans-C is a treatment for a variety of sleep concerns that incorporates CBT-I (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Chronic Insomnia) with other evidence-based interventions for sleep disorders. It is module based, which allows for individualized treatment of a broad range of sleep issues, including as an addition to other treatments for clients who experience sleep issues as one of their concerns.
Clients Served
I completed my Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Simpson College and my Master’s Degree in Mental Health Counseling at University of Northern Iowa. I am a National Certified Counselor (NCC) and certified in EMDR.
I believe in the importance of lifelong learning; I regularly participate in continuing education to build and refine my knowledge and skills in order to provide the highest quality of services to my clients. I am a member of several professional organizations including the American Mental Health Counselor’s Association (AMHCA), the Iowa Mental Health Counselor’s Association (IMHCA), the Association for Contextual Behavioral Science (ACBS), and the EMDR International Association (EMDRIA). I have over 10 years of experience providing therapy, having served clients in a variety of settings, including college counseling centers, community mental health, and private practice.
Outside of work, I can be found enjoying time with my loved ones, snuggling with my dogs, with my nose in a good book, wrapped up in a podcast, or working on my latest DIY/creative project.
Licensed Mental Health Counselor
Owner, True North Therapy & Wellness
If you are in need of immediate assistance, please utilize one of the crisis services listed below rather than submitting an appointment request to True North Therapy & Wellness at this time.
24/7 Crisis Services:
- Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: 988
- Crisis Text Line: Text “HOME” to 741741
- Your Lifeline Iowa: call (855) 581-8111 OR text (855) 895-8398
- Clive Behavioral Health
1450 NW 114th St, Clive, IA
(844) 680-0504 - 911
- Any hospital emergency room
Mental Health Urgent Care Resources (NOT 24/7)
- Broadlawns Psychiatric Urgent Care
1801 Hickman Rd Des Moines
(515) 282-5742 - Unity Point Behavioral Health Urgent Care
1250 East 9th Street Des Moines
(515) 263-2632
Private pay clients have a right to a Good Faith Estimate under the No Suprises Act (starting January 2022).
FAQ
Answers to common questions
I've never had therapy before, what should I expect?
We will spend the first couple of sessions exploring your current concerns and other relevant information in order to create a comprehensive treatment plan for your therapy goals. From there, we’ll start actively working on the plan we developed. Each client’s process will look different, depending on their goals, needs, and preferences.
How long does therapy take?
The length of the treatment process varies widely depending on individual factors. Sometimes only a few sessions are necessary; others will find they benefit from many sessions over time. Each individual therapy session is approximately 55 minutes in length.
How often do we meet?
During active work on treatment goals, sessions are generally weekly for best continuity between sessions. When the goals have been largely attained, sessions are generally less frequent – every other week or once a month – for a short time while working to ensure your progress is maintained before ending regularly scheduled sessions.
What about medication?
As a therapist, I do not prescribe medication, but can refer you to a prescriber if needed or desired. Some clients prefer not to take medication and find that therapy meets their needs. Others find medication to be a helpful part of their overall treatment, including helping them get more out of therapy. Ultimately the choice is yours, but I can help guide you to a decision if you are unsure.
Do you offer telehealth?
Because I work best in-person, I do not offer telehealth as a regular part of my practice. Telehealth can, however, be a useful tool in special situations that would otherwise prevent us from being together in the same room and am happy to use it in this capacity. I would not be a good fit for someone seeking to use telehealth as a primary way of working together.
What insurance do you accept?
I accept Wellmark Blue Cross/Blue Shield (except Wellmark Value network plans), most out-of-state BCBS and Federal BCBS, Health Partners, and Health Partners – Unity Point. If you plan to use your insurance to help cover the cost of treatment, I recommend you contact your insurance provider prior to your first session to verify your benefits. You’ll want to make sure your benefits cover mental health office visits, that I’m a covered provider for your specific plan, whether or not you have a deductible to meet before services are covered, and what your co-pay for sessions will be.
Do you accept Private pay clients?
Yes. My private pay rates are $195 for the first two sessions and $175 for subsequent sessions. Private pay is a good option for those who prefer not to use their insurance benefits for increased privacy or access, for those seeking therapy primarily for personal growth reasons, or for those who do not meet the criteria for a mental health diagnosis (a requirement for insurance coverage).
Do you accept clients using their out-of-network benefits?
Yes, in some cases. With this arrangement, you’d pay me directly for the full cost of the session and once a month I would provide you with the documentation you’d need in order to file a claim directly with your insurance company for reimbursement. If you are considering this option, I highly recommend working directly with your insurance company prior to starting services to ensure you fully understand your out-of-network benefits and their claim submission process.
Where are you Located?
My office is located in West Towers, a large office building located at 1200 Valley West Drive in West Des Moines, immediately south of I-235 and north of Valley High School. I’m in suite 304-02. When you arrive, take the elevator to the 3rd floor and turn right. There is a waiting area ahead and to the left. There’s no need to check in at the desk if it is staffed, just have a seat and I’ll come get you at your scheduled time!
How do I make an appointment?
Just click the “Request an Appointment” button below, fill out the form, and I’ll be in touch. If you prefer to set up your first appointment by phone, you can reach me at 515-531-0800. Once we’ve scheduled an appointment, I’ll send you the new client paperwork via my client portal. All of it can be done easily online, at your convenience, prior to the first session.