LMSW-C, 9 years of experience
If you’ve carried the weight of family abuse, grown up in chaos that made you question your worth, or found yourself in relationships where love and harm became tangled — I want you to know: I see you. So much of what feels “wrong” with you is actually what went right — the brilliant ways your mind and body protected you when you had no other choice. In our work together, I don’t rush your story or ask you to relive it. I help you listen to what your nervous system has been trying to say all along. My approach blends compassion with depth, using Brainspotting and trauma-informed care to help you process the experiences that still live in your body — not by forcing them out, but by creating enough safety for your system to release what it’s been holding. Many of my clients are survivors of childhood emotional or physical abuse, sexual trauma, or long histories of feeling unseen and invalidated. They often come to me feeling disconnected from joy, unsure how to trust themselves, or exhausted by patterns that repeat in relationships. Our sessions are a space to slow down, find language for what was unspeakable, and begin to feel at home inside yourself again. Healing isn’t about pretending it never happened — it’s about reclaiming who you were before the world taught you to shrink. You don’t have to walk this path alone. Together, we’ll help you build a life that feels safe, whole, and truly your own.
Your first session is a gentle, welcoming space where we’ll begin to get to know each other at your own pace. My goal is to create a supportive environment where you feel safe, heard, and respected from the very start. We’ll spend time learning about you—your story, what you’re experiencing right now, and what brought you here. This is also your opportunity to share what you hope to achieve through our work together and to ask any questions you might have about how therapy works. Together, we’ll explore what feels most important to you and begin to identify goals that reflect your needs and values. This is a collaborative process—you decide what to share and how deep you want to go. By the end of our time together, we’ll have a clearer picture of where you’re at, where you want to go, and a shared plan for the next steps on your healing journey.
What makes my approach unique is a deep, embodied understanding of trauma — not just as a set of symptoms, but as lived experience that shapes how you think, feel, and connect. I bring a nuanced awareness of PTSD, complex trauma, and the lifelong effects of narcissistic abuse, toxic family dynamics, and betrayal. I understand the ways these experiences can fracture your sense of self and make safety feel out of reach — and I hold that with care, curiosity, and respect. In our work together, I use Brainspotting and other trauma-informed, evidence-based methods that help you access and release what words alone can’t reach. Every session is tailored to your unique system — your pace, your nervous system, your readiness. Healing isn’t one-size-fits-all; it’s deeply personal, and you remain in control of your process every step of the way. My style is intuitive and attuned. I listen not only to what’s said, but to the emotions that live underneath — the unspoken currents that often hold the key to deeper healing. I bring a warm, grounded presence that helps you feel seen and safe enough to explore what’s been too painful to touch before. I’ve had the honor of working with first responders, healthcare professionals, therapists, and others who carry complex trauma beneath high-functioning exteriors. Together, we create a space where defenses can soften, your body can exhale, and healing can finally begin to feel possible.
I’m best positioned to serve people who have carried heavy emotional burdens for far too long — the survivors of childhood trauma, family abuse, narcissistic relationships, and betrayal. My work is for those who have learned to function in the world while quietly managing deep pain, loneliness, or self-doubt beneath the surface. Many of my clients are thoughtful, self-aware individuals who’ve already tried to “figure it out” on their own. They’re often helpers, healers, or high-achievers — people who appear strong and capable but privately feel disconnected, unseen, or emotionally exhausted. They want more than coping skills; they want transformation. I also work with those who have experienced subtle emotional neglect or toxic family dynamics that left them questioning their worth and belonging. Some come to therapy feeling numb or detached, others with intense emotions they can’t seem to regulate. What they all share is a longing to feel safe in their own body, to trust themselves again, and to stop repeating old survival patterns in their relationships. I’m especially attuned to the needs of therapists, healthcare professionals, and first responders who carry trauma from both personal and professional experiences. I also welcome clients from LGB communities who have faced trauma, rejection, or invisibility and are ready to reclaim their voice and authenticity. My clients often describe our work as a place where they finally feel seen — where their story is met with compassion, not judgment. Together, we focus on deep healing that honors your pace, restores your sense of self, and helps you build a life that feels safe, grounded, and truly yours.
Imagine your brain is like a big library." Sometimes, when something really big happens—like something scary, sad, or overwhelming—your brain doesn’t know where to put that memory or feeling. It kind of gets stuck on a shelf all messy. Brainspotting is a way to help your brain clean up that messy shelf. A therapist helps you find a special “spot” with your eyes—like a place you look that connects to that stuck feeling. Weird, right? But it works! When you look at that spot, your brain starts to unlock the feelings, even if you don’t have to talk about it. It helps your body calm down, and your brain sort things out like it was meant to. So Brainspotting is like giving your brain a quiet way to heal and feel better—kind of like how a cut heals without you doing anything, just by giving it the right conditions.
Sometimes, people go through really tough things that can leave behind big feelings like fear, sadness, or anger. That’s called trauma. It’s like your brain and body remember the hard stuff, even when you want to forget. A trauma-informed therapist knows that those hard things can make it hard to trust, talk, or even feel safe. So they go extra slow, listen really carefully, and never push you to talk about anything before you’re ready. They help you feel calm, in control, and safe while you work through those tough memories—one step at a time.
Imagine you’re talking to someone who doesn’t try to fix you, boss you around, or tell you what to do. They just really care about how you feel and what you’re going through. In person-centered therapy, the therapist is like a kind, calm guide. They listen without judging you, and they believe you’re the expert on you. That means they think you already have the answers inside—you just might need a little help finding them. It’s like having someone who holds the flashlight while you explore your own thoughts and feelings.
Psychodynamic therapy is like being a detective for your own feelings." Sometimes we feel mad, sad, or worried, and we don’t even know why. Psychodynamic therapy helps you look back—kind of like flipping through a photo album in your mind—to figure out where those feelings started. It’s like there’s a secret story going on inside you, and a therapist helps you figure out what’s behind the feelings you have now, especially ones that keep popping up over and over. They help you understand how things from your past—even things from when you were really little—might still be affecting how you feel today. And once you understand that story better, those feelings aren’t so confusing anymore, and you can start to feel more in control.
Imagine your mind is like a team of characters inside you. Each character has a special job to help you deal with life. Sometimes they work well together, and sometimes they argue. When you "interview parts," you’re having a little talk with each one to learn what they do and how they feel. Here are the main team members: 1. Manager This part tries to keep everything in control. It wants you to do well in school, stay safe, and avoid getting into trouble. It might say things like, "Make sure your homework is perfect!" or "Don’t say that—you’ll get embarrassed!" 2. Firefighter This part jumps in when you feel really upset or scared. Its job is to stop the pain fast—even if that means doing something wild. It might make you yell, play video games for hours, or eat too many snacks to feel better. 3. Exile This part holds big feelings like sadness, fear, or shame. It might feel left out or hurt because of something bad that happened. It usually hides deep inside because it’s afraid of being seen. 4. Self This is the calm, kind, curious part of you. It’s the “real” you who can listen to all the other parts without judging them. When Self is in charge, everyone feels more understood and safe. When you "interview parts," you’re letting the Self talk to each one—asking them what they’re doing, what they’re afraid of, and how they’re trying to help. This helps you understand yourself better and feel more at peace inside. I can do some things with this modality.
2 ratings with written reviews
March 12, 2025
She made me feel comfortable to express my feelings, I cried the majority of the session - but I was able to talk about my trauma that I have faced for 21 years of my life. I am glad I picked Jennifer to be my therapist as I try and overcome these life events from my past.
January 30, 2025
Very understanding, and very knowledgeable about trauma