My name is Jelisa Adair, LICSW.  I am an eclectic therapist who draws primarily from Internal Family Systems/Intimacy from the Inside Out and Liberation Health Theory to help individuals connect to their own inner wisdom and autonomy and create meaningful, aligned and sustainable change in their lives. I excel in creating long-term therapeutic relationships which allow for deep work particularly with clients with a history of abandonment, feeling misunderstood, and/or other relational difficulties. 

I work with folks who worry that they are “too self-aware” for therapy by moving beyond intellectual insight and into more body-based attunement. Other populations of interest include:

  • Clients experiencing identity transitions, such as (but not limited to) emerging/young adults

  • Academia: including undergraduate students, graduate students, faculty, and staff working in higher education

  • Clients belonging to marginalized communities such as (but not limited to) the BIPOC community, the LGBTQIA+ community, and polyamorous/non-monogamous community community

  • Clients who identify as gifted, highly sensitive, and/or neurodivergent

I honor nuance and complexity in my work.  Borrowing tools from ACT, DBT, and CBT, I also work with clients using literature, tarot, media, and current events as appropriate. If you are wanting to create a therapeutic container that can hold you in your complexity, I’d love to connect and see if we may be a fit.

Close-up portrait of a smiling woman with dark curly hair, wearing a septum piercing, standing in front of a brick wall.

Who am I?

Acknowledgements

My practice is built with, upon, and in community with so many people. I would like to acknowledge many here, while also realizing it is impossible to include everyone who has been with me on this journey.

I extend deepest gratitude to those who have served as clinical supervisors throughout my training including but not limited to: Wyvonne Stevens-Carter, Paul Welch, Annelle Kallman, and Meredith Walker. I honor and extend profound appreciation to the teachers who have guided my journey including but not limited to: Ruth King, Alex Bauermeister, Brenna Matthews, and Daniel Max. I thank all the colleagues who helped support me in opening my private practice including but not limited to: Seana Peterson, Kyle Rundles, and Priscilla Cheung. I lift up my paper mentors who help inform my work including but not limited to: Audre Lorde, bell hooks, adrienne maree brown, Prentis Hemphill, Melissa Harris-Perry, and Tricia Hersey. And special thanks to some of the people who serve as deep reminders of every challenge being an opportunity for learning, growth, and transformation, including but not limited to: Elise Harrison, Jim Hoppe, Kay Gardner, Jory Agate, Robbie Sanders, and Karen Brouhard.

My deepest thanks to you all, this version of my practice would not be the same without you.

    • Master of Social Work, Boston University School of Social Work (2016)

    • Bachelor of Arts, Wesleyan University (2013)

  • I have been working in clinical social work since 2016. I have worked as a clinician at several universities including Framingham State University, Emerson College, and Boston University. I established my private practice in 2019, while continuing to work full-time in higher education. I have been in full-time private practice since 2026.

    • 200-Hour YTT, JP Centre Yoga, 2024

    • Brainspotting, Tracy Gatlin, 2023

    • Intimacy from the Inside Out, 2022

    • Internal Family Systems Level 1, IFS Institute 2020