Jessica Rickels works as a Primary Counselor at Avenues Recovery Center at Eastern Shore, and currently resides in Salisbury, MD. She attended Wor-Wic Community College and Salisbury University, earning an associate degree in Chemical Dependency Counseling (AA), a bachelor's degree in Social Work (BASW), and a master's degree in Social Work (MSW). Additionally, Jessica holds a CAC-AD with a supervisory attachment as well as an LMSW. She is one hour away from having everything she needs to test for her LCSW-C and hopes to obtain this license within the next couple of months.
Jessica's passion for addictions counseling began during her time in community college. Initially entering the program with different career intentions, her perspective shifted dramatically after learning about addictions and working with the population during her internship. She fell in love with people's resilience and their motivation for change. Witnessing clients grow and succeed in recovery has profoundly impacted her, both personally and professionally, and has reinforced her belief in the possibility of real change.
Outside of work, Jessica loves spending time with her sons, Oliver and Felix. She has a pug named Winston and a cat named Willow. And of course, she is an avid Harry Potter fan.
