Dr. Jen Cecilione Herbst (she/her)

Approach & Specialties

I specialize in psychotherapy for children, adolescents, and emerging adults to address anxiety and related concerns, such as OCD. While I tailor treatment to meet the individual needs of my clients, I most often use cognitive-behavioral therapy, which is an evidence-based treatment for concerns like anxiety and OCD. Cognitive-behavioral therapy or CBT helps individuals identify and change patterns of behaviors and thoughts to improve their symptoms.

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.