Dr. Jen Cecilione Herbst (she/her)
Approach & Specialties
Battling with OCD and anxiety can make you feel stuck. You may feel trapped by routines and rituals you suspect don’t make sense but feel compelled to do anyway—just in case. You may be avoiding activities you need or want to do, but the risk feels too great to approach the situation. Your mind may be racing with all the worst-case-scenarios that you just can’t seem to quiet.
Or perhaps you’re a parent watching your child struggle with these issues. No matter how many times you reassure them that everything will be okay, they can’t seem to break away from their fear and try new things. Or they may take much longer than necessary to complete routine tasks (e.g., homework) because they are bogged down by needing to re-check, perfect, or repeat their work.
I work with individuals and families every day who struggle with these concerns. Read more about the evidence based approaches I use for anxiety and OCD.
In addition to working with individuals and families to help clients overcome their OCD and anxiety during therapy, I also specialize in the assessment of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). I use evidence-based assessment strategies to assess for autism in children and adolescents. Each assessment includes a comprehensive clinical interview with caregivers, cognitive testing, autism-specific testing (ADOS-2), and additional academic and psychological measures that are carefully selected to match the needs of individual clients. For example, my evaluations often include assessment for co-occurring neurodevelopmental disorders (e.g., ADHD, intellectual disability). Feedback is provided to families shortly after testing, along with a high-quality report detailing assessment findings, diagnoses, and recommendations.
I frequently utilize shared decision making to ensure that the evidence-based services I provide are uniquely tailored to be the best fit for you. My approach is warm and friendly, as I strive to make all my clients feel comfortable and at ease when they work with me. I am also no stranger to using humor in my work—the healing power of laughter is most certainly welcome in my office!
Additionally, I am credentialed with PSYPACT, which means I can see clients via telehealth in the following states: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
Education & Training
Dr. Herbst earned her Bachelor’s of Arts in psychology, with a minor in sociology from the University of Richmond. After working as a research coordinator in a psychiatric and behavioral genetics lab, Dr. Herbst began her graduate training in clinical psychology at Virginia Commonwealth University. At VCU, Dr. Herbst practiced across a variety of settings, including pediatric hematology/oncology and primary care. She also conducted research related to the therapeutic alliance and shared decision making in psychotherapy. Dr. Herbst then completed her pre-doctoral internship at the West Virginia University School of Medicine, where she focused on early childhood neurodevelopmental assessment. She earned her PhD in clinical psychology, with a concentration in child and adolescent mental health from VCU in 2024.
Current clients can access the client portal here.