Jessica Hasson, PhD

11/11/2025

I am so excited to be presenting two new workshops at the CEYou! 5th Annual Winter Conference. Each is worth 3 hours of CE's

Wednesday, January 14, from 6:00pm - 9:00pm
Going Back to Basics: The Importance of Authenticity and the Assessment of Stress

The therapist is the most important tool in mental health treatment. However, the modern focus on clinical techniques over the therapeutic relationship has led some to neglect the most important tool in our toolbox; ourselves. This workshop discusses how therapists can bring their whole selves into the room. This includes practical strategies for therapists to enhance their self-awareness and authenticity, referencing foundational research by Carl Rogers. Strategies discussed including self-reflection, ways to embrace our imperfections, and the importance of seeking out critical feedback through consultation and personal therapy. The latter part of the training focuses on assessing client stressors with care and nuance, emphasizing rapport-building over quick solutions. By understanding each client’s unique context, therapists can tailor interventions more effectively and compassionately.

Thursday, January 15, from 6:00pm - 9:00pm EST: Beyond Buzzwords: How to be Truly Neurodivergent Affirming in Your Practice

This training explores how mental health professionals can move beyond surface-level inclusivity to create genuinely affirming spaces for neurodivergent individuals. After reviewing the definition of neurodivergence, the focus will be on adapting therapeutic and assessment approaches to support different neurological experiences, reinforcing that differences are not deficits. Participants are encouraged to reflect on their own biases, especially those shaped by traditional medical models used in diagnosis and insurance documentation. The training challenges practitioners to consider how truly aligned their language, documentation, office environment, and therapeutic style are with neurodivergent-affirming values. Strategies for building inclusive, sensory-considerate, and flexible practices are explored, along with case examples to demonstrate practical applications. The session also prepares clinicians to respect clients who prefer a medical model approach, reinforcing the need for individualized, respectful care.

09/30/2025

Eric's Law goes into effect October 1 in Maryland.

The idea for the law came from Eric Carpenter-Grantham, a Black Autistic adult from Silver Spring Maryland. After George's Floyd's death, Eric came up with an idea to put something on an ID to let the police know about the presence of an invisible disability, like Autism.

Starting on October 1, 2025, Marylanders can have a butterfly put on their license with the words "invisible disability" under it. The butterfly is a beautiful symbol for this, as it is associated with change and transformation.

Having the butterfly printed on ID cards, including licenses, is absolutely voluntary.

Thank you to Eric, and his mother Linda, for getting this passed

09/15/2025

AI is not hallucinating. It's confabulating. And yes, there is a difference.

A hallucination is a perception of something that is not there. It is a false sensory experience. That is not what is happening with AI's - they have no sensory experiences. Perhaps more important, hallucinations don't always seem plausible. However, what AI generates definitely seems plausible.

AI is generating false information and presenting it in a confident way. It is presented as fact. The information sounds plausible but is inaccurate. This is a confabulation.

Confabulation is a creation of false or distorted information due to a brain dysfunction. Often the confabulated information is presented in a confident way. We see it a lot with dementia and brain damage.

People can usually pick out hallucinations. However, confabulations are harder to detect. AI's misinformation is harder to detect. It's a confabulation.

AI isn't seeing things that others can't perceive or hearing voices others cannot hear. It's making up information. There is a big difference.

Like students facing hard exam questions, large language models sometimes guess when uncertain, producing plausible yet incorrect statements instead of admitting uncertainty. Such "hallucinations" persist even in state-of-the-art systems and undermine trust. We argue that language models hallucinate...

09/10/2025

One of my best friends (and office mate) celebrated one year in business! Congrats to Shelby Beierl, LCPC, TGM on your first year! Your first year was amazing. In addition to quickly building a full caseload, you earned certification as a Therapeutic Game Master, and built an office where everyone feels comfortable and safe.

I can’t wait to see what the next year brings. And I am so excited to see your hard work come to fruition when the gaming groups start this fall!

Check Shelby out at https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/shelby-beierl-germantown-md/1360602

Cake from C & C Cafe in Germantown. Check them out at 13012 Middlebrook Rd.

08/16/2025

There are some animated movies that have become staples among therapists. Inside Out, Encanto, and Frozen have all been discussed at length in therapist circles. We should add KPop Demon Hunters to that list.

Minor spoilers ahead.

For those who haven’t seen it, KPop Demon Hunters tells the story of a K-Pop trio who save the world as demon hunters. The movie is filled with catchy songs that all have the potential to be the next Let It Go. But behind the bright colors and catchy tunes are strong messages about about accepting all aspects of yourself and trusting others with the “real” you rather than a curated version of yourself.

The storytelling encourages viewers to accept all parts of yourself, even those that others have deemed to be “bad.” It emphasizes that people are complex and there are different aspects to all of us. Understanding and accepting those parts - including the negative ones - is what makes us whole.

An overarching message is that love should not be conditional. It is conditional love that causes people to not be vulnerable and to hid aspects of themselves that others have told them (explicitly or implicitly) are unacceptable. Instead, love is given without conditions. Love, including self love, is about loving all of you, not just the parts people seem to like.

The messages of acceptance, love, and human complexity are fantastic. KPop Demon Hunters needs to go into the therapist movie toolbox.

Huge thanks to my business partner (and one of the most skilled counselors I’ve ever met) Shelby Beierl for introducing me to this movie. She even was kind enough to warn me I would feel attacked. She is a certified game master and is starting up table top role playing groups soon! Check her out https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/shelby-beierl-germantown-md/1360602

08/15/2025

Love that I was teamed up with Lee for the Athlete Wellness Summit. I am always in awe of how he inspires the players.

08/09/2025

I had the pleasure of being a guest on Frances Shefter’s podcast, Stress-Free IEP® Podcast. Tune in to hear about:
“Getting the Right Evaluation: Dr. Jessica Hasson Explains What Parents Must Know”

Check out the episode here (https://shefterlaw.com/getting-the-right-evaluation-dr-jessica-hasson-explains-what-parents-must-know/) or wherever you stream podcasts!

A quick summary of the episode: In this episode of Stress-Free IEP, host Frances Shefter welcomes Dr. Jessica Hasson, a licensed clinical psychologist, for an insightful discussion about the importance of psychological evaluations and how they differ from school-based assessments. With over 20 years of experience and a passion for neurodiversity-affirming approaches, Dr. Hasson breaks down the nuances of testing and how parents can best support their children throughout the evaluation process

Clinical psychologist Dr. Jessica Hasson joins Frances Shefter on Stress-Free IEP to explain the differences between school and private evaluations, why early intervention matters, and how neurodivergent-affirming assessments empower kids to thrive.

07/26/2025

I am so excited to be a part of this again this year! Joe Hooks, founder of the 480 Club, is again bringing the Athlete Wellness Summit to QOHS. Coach Hooks makes sure that these young athletes know that mental wellness is as important as physical wellness.

During the summit, athletes meet with experts in various fields. We discuss personal development, being a leader on the field/court and off, teamwork, recovery, nutrition, and time management.

Sports have been, and continue to be, a vital part of my life. I’ve watched as participation on a team has changed lives. It provides a sense of community and belonging. It can be a safe space for so many to work through strong emotions and stress. I am absolutely thrilled to be representing Pay It Forward Assessments, LLC at this summit and talking about strategies to cope with an increasingly complex and demanding world (aka time management). I’ll also be reviewing warning signs of mental distress and how to approach your teammates when you are concerned.

You can donate to the 480 Club here https://www.480club.com/services-2