At the Cherokee Indian Hospital Authority (CIHA), we’re proud to highlight the remarkable work of Jessica Morgan, a Master’s Level Therapist on our Child and Family team based at the Dora Reed Center. Jessica, who has been with CIHA since November 2022, recently completed her certification in Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP), a specialized therapeutic approach designed to support young children ages 0-5 and their families. Jessica’s dedication and new certification not only strengthen our mental health services but also advance our mission to provide compassionate, accessible care tailored to the unique needs of our community.
Jessica was inspired to pursue CPP training when the opportunity arose, excited about the possibility of expanding her skills to serve Cherokee families more effectively.
The CPP model has been invaluable, especially in gaining skills specifically for children ages 0-5 and their families,” said Jessica. “This training has given me the knowledge and skills needed to address the unique needs of young children and their caregivers, supporting early relationships and attachment in a way that has a lasting impact.”
According to Jessica, her work with families in Cherokee is profoundly rewarding, especially as she helps them “speak the unspeakable”—a principle central to CPP that encourages open, honest conversations between caregivers and children. “However, the most rewarding part of this experience has been the meaningful relationships formed with families and the local community. I have been honored to work with and alongside children and families in Cherokee throughout this process. An important principle of CPP is to “Speak the unspeakable”. It has been fulfilling and inspiring to watch families truly embrace this principle during our work together,” she said.
Emily Moore, Master’s Level Therapist and the Child Services manager within CIHA’s Analenisgi Department, emphasizes the significance of Jessica’s new qualification, which brings vital clinical support to a demographic often overlooked in mental health services: children aged 0-5. “Typically, children, especially ages 0-3, do not have a lot of support in regard to therapy because there are few people with training/knowledge in appropriate clinical interventions to serve that population. They often get overlooked due to lack of resources or knowledge on what to do to support the child and the family,” Emily explains. “Jessica’s completion of CPP allows CIHA to expand our early intervention efforts and offer an essential therapeutic model for children and their families.”
Since joining the team, Jessica has primarily worked with children and families at the Dora Reed Children’s Center, an initiative aimed at expanding mental health and behavioral services for youth. Through this role, she has positively impacted numerous families, helping them develop stronger, healthier bonds. Jessica’s work resonates with CIHA’s values, particularly our commitment to excellence and accessible, family-centered care. Emily notes, “I think CIHA’s mission to provide accessible, patient and family centered quality health care as well as CIHA’s value of Excellence is embodied in Jessica’s work. The CPP training is an 18-month journey involving intensive training, consultations, tracking, and implementing the model in real-world settings. Jessica’s commitment exemplifies excellence and contributes greatly to our goal of delivering patient and family-centered care.”
According to Emily, Jessica’s certification is vital in addressing access in rural North Carolina. “To speak to accessible care, there are few clinical/therapeutic training models for children ages 0-5 to begin with. Then you add living in a rural community/area and the availability gets even smaller,” Emily explained. “If my research is correct, Jessica may be the only provider for Child Parent Psychotherapy west of Buncombe County. Even in Buncombe County, there appears to be fewer than 10 trained in CPP.”
With her CPP certification, Jessica is uniquely equipped to serve Indigenous children and families of the Qualla Boundary. This model addresses the caregiver’s experiences, understanding that a caregiver’s past traumas can affect their relationship with their child. While Jessica and her colleagues explore ways to adapt CPP with an Indigenous lens, she’s encouraged by the program’s flexibility and the trainers’ eagerness to collaborate on culturally sensitive practices.
Looking ahead, Jessica will be involved in projects expanding CIHA’s services to children 0-5, especially within school settings. Her expertise in CPP will also play a crucial role in training future therapists, further enriching CIHA’s therapeutic offerings and building a foundation for ongoing support for young families in Cherokee.
“We are looking at utilizing CPP as one of the primary models to implement support and therapeutic services to the 0-5 population, and by Jessica successfully completing this training, she will like be a support for others we hope to get trained in CPP,” said Emily. “The conversation around historical trauma is growing, but not all therapeutic models take into account the caregivers experiences and impacts of their own traumas. CPP tends to needs of the caregiver as well by looking at their own experiences and how that may impact them in the context of their relationship with their children. While I think there is room to grow to see how CPP can be adapted to utilize an indigenous lens, I do think that the trainers who provided CPP were very motivated to collaborate on what that can look like.”
Jessica’s dedication, compassion, and expertise in Child-Parent Psychotherapy exemplify CIHA’s mission to provide accessible, quality care. As she continues to help Cherokee families, Jessica is not only enhancing mental health resources but also paving the way for a stronger, healthier future for our youngest community members.
“What I enjoy most about my role with CIHA is the kids! I have always had a passion for children and working in this role to support families and children is an incredibly rewarding and humbling experience,” said Jessica. “One of my core beliefs is that every individual is doing the best they can with what they have on any given day, and as a therapist I strive to create a space where everyone is welcome and accepted, no matter where they are in life on any given day. As I continue to serve the community as a therapist, I hope to continue to have a positive role in the Child and Family team, providing vital mental health care to those in this community.”