Jerrod L. Handy, Psy.D.
*pronouns: he/him/his
Jerrod identifies as a cisgender Black gay male. He was born in Miami, FL and raised in Scranton, PA. His passion for a psychology and to help others began at an early age. After graduating from The University of Scranton with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, he moved to Chicago to begin graduate school and earned his Master’s degrees in General Psychology and Clinical Psychology in 2012 and 2014, respectively.
Jerrod graduated with his Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (Psy.D.) from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology in 2017. During and after his coursework, he engaged in clinical training at private and public hospitals, forensic centers, juvenile detention centers, inpatient mental health facilities, outpatient community mental health centers, and private practices. Since completing his doctorate, Jerrod worked and underwent training and additional supervision at a group practice in Arlington Heights, IL. While at this practice he also served as a clinical supervisor for other therapists and technicians completing neuropsychological and psychological evaluations.
Throughout his training, Jerrod has focused on developing clinical skills related to working with individuals, couples, families, and groups who identify as sexual, racial, or gender minorities. Jerrod has also focused on helping people who experience difficulty with identity development/conflict, sexuality, career transitions, healthy living, work-life balance, and general stress management.
Jerrod has extensive experience in working with mental health concerns related to depression, anxiety, bipolar disorders, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorders, trauma, substance abuse, autism spectrum disorders, sexual dysfunction, personality disorders, neurocognitive disorders, learning disorders, and pervasive developmental delay disorders. He integrates a variety of approaches and techniques into his work, but relies heavily on psychodynamic and systems theories and making use of the relationship between himself and his clients.
Jerrod also has extensive training in completing psychological testing in the domains of neurocognitive, personality, intellectual, academic and forensic. Similar to medical tests/exams, Jerrod uses psychological tests and other assessment tools to measure and observe a client’s behavior to arrive at a diagnosis and guide treatment. For Jerrod, testing involves the use of formal assessments such as questionnaires or checklists, as well as the use of standardized tests and computer-based assessments.
Jerrod believes that it is vital for people to trust their therapist’s office to be a safe space that is free of judgment. He works with clients to help them identify goals of treatment that are aligned with their own values and beliefs. He makes recommendations about changes he believes will be helpful to make in his client’s lives, but he respects his clients’ decisions about what goals to set.
Jerrod can bill Blue Cross/Blue Shield PPO and Blue Choice plans, Aetna PPO, and most United/Optum PPO plans. To learn more about his background and training, or to schedule a phone consultation, call him at 773-830-3534 or email him at jhandy@andersonvillepsychology.com today.