About Jed Harris

Hi, I’m Jed. I’m a Licensed Professional Counselor & Counselor Supervisor.

The Beginning of my Career

As I enter my 20th year as a Licensed Professional Counselor, I want to share how I started working in this field. As I completed my Bachelor’s Degree in Chemistry and Master’s Degree in Biology, I began my career working with children as a special education teacher. This led to me pursuing a Master’s Degree in Counseling. When I finished, I became certified as a special education counselor, and continued working with children in the public school system.

To enhance my skills, I got training in Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy directly
from Dr. Albert Ellis (its originator), and certifications in basic Eriksonian hypnosis and trauma & loss in children.

I have studied effective strategies for addressing child and adolescent misbehavior, training teachers in this area, and consulting with parents about best practices for addressing their children’s behavior. I have also taught CPI conflict de-escalation and restraint to school staff.

What I Specialize in Now

Although my career started with counseling for children, I have expanded my knowledge and expertise to working with older adolescents and adults (from 21 to 80!), as well as couples – mainly concentrating on the many areas in which struggles can arise in our relationships.

I focus on communication as well as helping clients understand the true nature of psychological and physiological stress and the implications they have in all areas of life, particularly in their relationships. In couples therapy, I can help you in understanding what your partner is really saying, to identify what it is you’d like them to understand about you, and teach you the skills to communicate effectively. 

With individual clients, I use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help clients reduce anxiety, stress, interpersonal problems, and to increase levels of self-compassion and ways to cope with current life stressors. I also help clients process the root causes of their behaviors and thought processes in order to create a positive shift that further aligns with their life goals. 

While I continue my career as a clinician working directly with clients, I am in the process of completing my PsyD in clinical psychology as the culmination of extensive doctoral study in school psychology, health psychology, and exercise physiology.

Aside from being a therapist myself, I have a passion for teaching others about this field and am currently in my 13th year of teaching Psychology at Collin College.

What do I do in my Free Time when I’m not with Clients?

My time, aside from work, is occupied by a few hobbies that I love and feel passionate about, particularly competitive Olympic-style weightlifting and music.

In weightlifting, I compete locally, nationally, and internationally in the Masters division (35 years and older), recently winning my 3rd national championship and placing second at the World Championships. I also perform as a guitarist and vocalist, as a solo singer/songwriter and with different bands.

I’m very happy to be a practicing clinician at Relationship Matters Therapy & I can’t wait to work with you! If you’re up for the journey of improving your relationships and feeling better about yourself, reach out to me for a free consultation.