Staff Spotlight, Jessica Hammerly

Tell us about yourself!

My name is Jessica Hammerly. I have a Master’s of Science in Counseling Psychology. I am a board-certified licensed professional counselor. I work for The Emily Program’s Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania site and have been in the family for over a year and a half now.

Describe the career path that led you to The Emily Program.

I worked with children with autism and behavioral disorders for about a decade and then two years in a male inpatient drug and alcohol rehabilitation center. I’ve also been in private practice for more than three years.

What motivates you to show up for work each day?

I never work a day in my life because I love what I do. I love to help people help themselves.

What one thing do you wish everyone knew about eating disorders?

I wish everyone knew how important it is to take care of our mental health. I wish that more people knew that it was okay to get sick sometimes and get support instead of suffering in silence.

If you could do another job just for a day, what would it be? 

If I wasn’t in the counseling field, I’d be doing interior design and staging for people’s homes.