Jessica Cao
(she/her/她)
I am a multilingual psychotherapist and AASECT Certified Sex Therapist (CST), licensed in Illinois (LCSW & LCPC), Indiana (LCSW), Wisconsin (LCSW), and Michigan (LMSW-C). My work is grounded in cultural humility, trauma-informed care, sex-positive practice, and respect for the ways culture, relationships, identity, and systems shape mental health. I frequently work with international students, immigrants, young professionals, trauma survivors, LGBTQ+ clients, and individuals and couples navigating intimacy concerns.
Why work with me?
1. No cultural translation required.
I work in English, Mandarin, and Cantonese and understand how family expectations, migration, faith, minority stress, and cultural context can shape emotional life.
2. Specialized sex therapy credentials.
I am an AASECT Certified Sex Therapist (CST) and completed the University of Michigan Certificate Program in Sex Therapy & Sexuality Education. I provide affirming, evidence-informed care for sexual concerns without shame or moral judgment.
3. Depth with practical movement.
My background in clinical social work, health communication, philosophy, and brief solution-focused work allows us to explore meaning and relational patterns while also identifying concrete next steps.
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.”
Marianne Williamson, A Return to Love
My Story
My path to psychotherapy grew from longstanding questions about belonging, attachment, culture, and meaning. I grew up in a non-traditional family system and later became an international student and immigrant in the United States. Those experiences taught me how relationships can be disrupted, rebuilt, and redefined across distance, generations, and cultures.
Before clinical social work, I studied philosophy in China and health communication in the United States, and worked across journalism, writing, and healthcare interpretation. These experiences continue to shape how I listen: closely to language, to what is difficult to name, and to the cultural assumptions underneath a story.
My own Christian faith is part of my personal history and values, but therapy is centered on your beliefs, identities, and choices - not mine. I welcome clients of all faiths and no faith, including people healing from religious shame or religious trauma.
Professional Background
Chicago Psychoanalytic Institute “Exploring Psychoanalysis” program, 2026-2027
AASECT Certified Sex Therapist (CST)
Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), Illinois
Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC), Illinois
Licensed Master Social Worker - Clinical (LMSW-C), Michigan
Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), Indiana
Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), Wisconsin
Certificate Program in Sex Therapy & Sexuality Education, University of Michigan, 2024
Master of Arts in Social Work (Clinical Concentration), University of Chicago, 2021
Master of Arts in Applied Communication (Health Communication), Indiana University, 2019
Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy, Minzu University of China, 2015
Core Areas
Trauma & Family of Origin
childhood trauma, complex trauma, sexual trauma, religious trauma, gender-based violence
Relationships & Boundaries
attachment wounds, people-pleasing, conflict, infidelity recovery, emotional abuse
Sex, Body & Identity
desire discrepancies, sexual functioning, sexual shame, LGBTQ+ identity, body image
Cross-Cultural & Existential Concerns
immigration stress, identity conflict, grief, meaning, belonging
Mood, Stress & Growth
anxiety, depression, burnout, perfectionism, imposter feelings, life transitions