Mental health for dog people.

Jess Adam of Handlers & Humans LLC offers individual emotional support coaching for dog guardians and dog trainers, group support programs, educational courses, webinars, and resources.

The aim of Handlers & Humans is to support the mental health of dog people, by offering techniques, theories, and tools that support the human side of the leash. 

Nope! Although Jess Adam is also a licensed therapist in the state she resides, all services offered by Handlers & Humans LLC are known as coaching and/or education. 

Also nope! Jess Adam is not a professional dog trainer, although she has had a decade of immersion into the dog training world to navigate Dio's behavioral and emotional challenges. 

Handlers & Humans LLC offers niche coaching services related to the emotions and experiences of living with a complex dog, or training complex dogs.

That being said, these emotions, reactions, and experiences related to your dog are connected to so many things! It isn't that won't can't notice or briefly explore anything outside of dog training or canine relationships, but the work will ultimately connect back to dogs.

If I believe your needs are out of the scope of Handlers & Humans LLC services, or that therapy is a better fit for you once we meet, I will not take you on or continue with you as a coaching client. If I believe your needs are better served elsewhere, but we have already started meeting, I will refund the remainder of your package.

If, in the context of our conversation, we uncover the need to do deeper or longer term work around other topics, then I will recommend you seek professional therapy. 

If you are actively experiencing significant symptoms related to mental illness or substance use, coaching is not an appropriate service for you -- even if you are ALSO struggling with your dog.

Once we meet, if I believe your needs are out of the scope of Handlers & Humans LLC services, or that therapy is a better fit for you, I will not take you on or continue with you as a coaching client.

If I believe your needs are better served elsewhere, but we have already started meeting, I will refund the remainder of your package.

If you are in crisis, please call 988 or visit www.988lifeline.org

If you are looking to start (or restart!) your mental health journey with a professional, but aren’t sure how to connect with someone, here are some options!

1. If you have health insurance, reach out and ask for their provider list. You may need to call several providers to see if they are taking new clients.

2. Ask family, friends, or trusted colleagues for referrals to therapists they have worked with, and had a good experience with.

3. Try listing websites such as Psychology Today or Therapist.com.  

4. If you have a specific issue you’d like to address, search for professional associations related to your needs or diagnosis. These often host lists of qualified specialists.

For example, the International OCD Foundation for therapists who specialize in OCD, or EMDRIA for thearpists certified in EMDR. 

5. Reach out to your local mental health or crisis department and ask for a list of local providers taking new clients. 

6. Ask community organizations or nonprofits if they partner with any mental health professionals.

7. Ask your primary care doctor if they have therapists they refer to, or if there are behavioral health services in their network.

8. If cost is a concern, check out Open Path Collective to connect you with a therapist that offers a sliding scale rate.

9. Inquire at your workplace to see if they offer an Employee Assistance Program. These are often free (and confidential) for employees AND their families, at least for the first few sessions!

10. Check with local colleges or universities to see if they have a counselor training program that offers free or low-cost support, with the trainees under supervision. If not, they may have a list of local referrals!

Yes! The current coaching packages are split up into monthly payments, or there is a pay-what-you-can option for single sessions. The Complex Canine Community is $12/mon.

But! if finances are still a concern despite these options, we are happy to arrange a payment plan that fits your needs. Accessibility is important to us. Please let us know!