Ita Jervis M.Ed., LPC., GRMS., RYI is a bilingual-multicultural Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist (GRMS), a Certified, Practicing Yoga Instructor (RYI) and a College Student Advisor. She incorporates a wealth of lived experience and academic training in the pursuit of all these professions.
Born in Ecuador, Ita early developed an interest in learning and in pursuing a career that would allow her to help others. She possesses years of experience working with diverse populations representing various ethnic and cultural backgrounds. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of Houston Downtown, from which she graduated Summa Cum Laude. She then received her Master’s degree in Counselor Education from the University of St. Thomas in Houston, after which she completed the Licensure Requirement for professional counselors thus becoming an LPC. Her Master’s thesis focused on the culture shock experienced by those from abroad who find themselves in a new and unfamiliar environment while confronting the rigors of academic demands. Both her lived experience and her academic training places her in an advantageous position to help those whom she counsels to meet and overcome the challenges that they face.
Ita interned in various settings, including a college campus, an outpatient / inpatient psychiatric hospital, and in a private practice. She completed her graduate LPC licensure internship at Lone Star College Kingwood where she conducted individual and group counseling which included crisis intervention services. She continues working at LCS where she provides educational services to International / ESOL and all other students. Her clinical experiences have derived primarily from her work as a PRN mental health therapist at Kingwood Pines Hospital and as an LPC-intern at the Kimberly Boyd Counseling Center. In these settings, she worked with a diverse population on a wide variety of issues, from chemical dependency, culture shock, career and professional hardships, domestic violence and a host of other issues. Her functions included completing intake evaluations, individual, group, and family therapy.
In working with her clients, Ita takes a humanistic, cognitive behavioral and goal-oriented approach that involves working closely with each individual and family to relieve emotional pain and distress. She strives to achieve this goal through a holistic approach that involves teaching effective skills to manage life’s difficulties. Ita incorporates mindfulness and therapeutic techniques in the healing process, and she has specialized education in Grief Recovery through her training at the Grief Recovery Institute.
Ita has presented programs at conferences focusing on domestic violence and has created training programs related to conflict resolution both nationally and internationally, as well as providing consulting services in universities and communities overseas. She takes a holistic, warm and compassionate approach to all her endeavors and offers a safe space where each individual feels valued and heard.
