The Rev. Jesse Abell has served for over 18 years in ordained ministry as a priest of The Episcopal Church, serving churches in Indiana, Massachusetts, and Tennessee, as well as working in hospital chaplaincy. He is provisionally licensed for counseling as a
Licensed Master Social Worker in Tennessee and Mississippi.

A native of Indiana, he graduated from Indiana Wesleyan University with a bachelor’s in Psychology in 2004. He went on to read for his M.Phil. in Psychology and Religion at the University of Cambridge in 2005. He attended seminary at Sewanee (the University of the South), graduating with his M.Div. in 2007 and returning later to earn his D.Min. in 2020. In Massachusetts, he was also trained and accredited by Harvard Divinity School as a mentor for seminarians in their field education work. More recently, he earned his Master of Social Work at the University of Memphis, graduating in 2025. He continues studies in the field of play therapy.

Jesse does counseling with clients under supervision, as he works towards his full clinical license. He sees children, adolescents, and adults as they navigate life stress, depression, anxiety, grief, immigrant/cultural issues, LGBTQIA+ matters, and other issues. He works from a client-centered and cognitive-behavioral approach, and he is particularly interested in play therapy and clinical applications of EFT/tapping as
technique for healing from traumatic experiences.

Outside of his work with Samaritan, he serves on the staff of Grace-St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, and he is a trained spiritual director.

Jesse accepts the following insurance plans:  Aetna and Optum.