Jessica A. Grant, the founder of Prima Wellness, a mental health practice and healing space located in the West Street Yard, has joined the Litchfield Prevention Council and attended her first official meeting in March.
Jessica brings nationally recognized leadership in the domains of mental health and integrative wellness as a licensed psychotherapist, clinical researcher, ayurvedic practitioner, and community herbalist.
She served in a director role within Yale University’s School of Medicine for nearly a decade prior to departing for full-time private practice and consultation work. With over 22 years of clinical experience, Jessica has extensive expertise in the arena of PTSD treatment, neuroscience, and evidence-based practice.
Jessica is deeply passionate about integrating the indigenous wisdom of ecomedicine, eastern philosophy, somatic sciences, and plant psychology as powerful healing alchemists.
She spends much of her time in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, where she supports the cultivation of endangered field and forest botanicals, and shares a deep love for animals with her ever-growing rescue fur family
Her path to joining the Litchfield Prevention Council began when she met council Chair Gary Waugh at the suicide prevention walk at the White Memorial Conservation Center in the summer of 2024.
She was there to support Prima Wellness clients and family members who have personal experiences linked to suicide. The Prevention Council shared a video she made at the event on its Facebook page.
Together they decided Jessica would be a great fit for the council, given her experience with prevention work in the realm of forensic mental health, and in providing training for those using the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS), an evidence-based model for assessing suicide risk as part of a prevention protocol.
She also played a role in the implementation of various empirical modalities including Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) in the Connecticut juvenile justice system. DBT is a cognitive-behavioral treatment approach whose goal is to help individuals manage difficult emotions, improve interpersonal relationships, and enhance coping skills.
“Jessica is a wonderful addition to the Litchfield Prevention Council,” Gary Waugh said. “She adds expertise and experience to our focus of reaching and connecting with students and young people to help guide their grown in positive directions.”
To learn more about Jessica Grant, see her Prima Wellness website.
Litchfield Wellness Festival Coming in July
Jessica Grant is also part of the group planning the Litchfield Wellness Festival, which will take place July 5 at Litchfield Community Field and July 6 at the White Memorial Conservation Center and other locations (Stay tuned for the full program.)
The festival will host featured presenters, classes, and vendors in wellness categories including physical and mental health, yoga, movement and fitness, holistic healing, nutrition, herbalism, healthy living, and natural beauty.
In addition to Prima Wellness and Litchfield Park & Recreation, some of the participants and sponsors signed up include Charym Yoga, NKYV Rituals, Kula Collective, Sanctuary Power Yoga, Ageless by Nature, ACE Hardware, Litchfield Health & Wellness Resources, and Litchfield Magazine.
See the Litchfield Wellness Festival website to learn more and for updates.
