Dr. Jacks Gilles

Licensed Psychologist

Dr. Gilles is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist in the state of Kentucky with Health Service Provider in Psychology (Supervisor) credentials. They are the principal founder and Executive Director of Mandala House and also a member of the Kentucky Psychological Association.

Dr. Gilles moved to Louisville in the Summer of 2004 to begin graduate training at Spalding University. In 2010, they completed their predoctoral internship at the Butler University & Aspire Indiana Consortium. After graduating from Spalding in 2011 with a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology, they opened their first private practice, Gilles Psychological Services. Around this same time, they began a full-time professorship with Lindsey Wilson College where they served as Resident Faculty Supervisor for the Master's-Level cohorts on the Cincinnati, OH campus until leaving in August 2017 to focus solely on Mandala House.  

As a Psychologist and Supervisor, Dr. Gilles has plenty of opportunities to engage their curiosity and passion for knowledge. They especially love creating and participating in opportunities for growth and challenge, which are an integral part of the Mandala House philosophy.  In addition to teaching and training future clinicians, they are also highly committed to continuing their own education and seeking consultation. In the Summer of 2013 Dr. Gilles completed a two-year certificate program in Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy with the Chicago Center for Psychoanalysis. This program included didactic coursework, individual supervision, and case conferences. Dr. Gilles looks forward to continuing to grow alongside the staff of Mandala House.

In 2015, Dr. Gilles began to envision a group center, Mandala House, to bring together a talented team of clinicians and staff to challenge, nurture, and inspire one another to reach our fullest potential in service of the Louisville and surrounding communities.

Dr. Gilles knows therapy is a challenging and vulnerable process and works to create a space that is both safe and reflective of the reverence they hold for their clients and the work. Dr. Gilles is strongly committed to understanding, non-judgment, respect, empowerment, and celebration of individual differences and struggles. They have been described as a "calming presence" and as someone who has a "strong ability to take others' perspectives." Perhaps this is why Couples Therapy is a favorite for Dr. Gilles, who strives to create a delicate balance of nurture, support, paced interpretation, and reflection optimal for growth. Dr. Gilles has many areas of clinical expertise including relationships, identity development, sexual orientation, gender, multiculturalism, family-of-origin issues, shame, religious trauma, and attachment.

Community involvement is important to Dr. Gilles and they have had the honor to serve locally, regionally, and globally over the years through their involvement in organizations such as the Louisville Youth Group (a resource for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Questioning Youth), Kentucky Psychological Association, Water for People (which collaborates with communities in need across nine countries to build systems for safe drinking water and sanitation), and the LWC Cincinnati Community of Care Social.