Before stepping into the world of therapy, I found healing and self-discovery through the arts. Whether I was welding, sculpting, or painting, creating gave me space to process, express, and discover myself and my calling. Later, my academic journey through neurobiology and pre-med deepened my awe for the human body and mind—how intricately they’re connected, and how they constantly strive to protect and guide us, even in the hardest moments. I hold a deep respect for the whole person—every part of you, including the parts that feel messy, misunderstood, or still in progress. To me, therapy is about honoring your full story: your background, culture, family, and the unique experiences that shape who you are today. My approach is warm, collaborative, and grounded in a range of therapeutic models including attachment theory, Solution-Focused Therapy, IFS, TF-CBT, Interpersonal Neurobiology (IPNB), and Brainspotting therapy. These are just a few of the tools we can draw from as we tailor our work to fit you—your needs, your goals, your pace.
What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?
Starting therapy can feel like a big step, especially if it's your first time. My goal is to create a supportive, compassionate space where you can show up just as you are — with whatever you're carrying — and begin the process of healing, self-discovery, and change. In our first session, I take time to get to know you, your story, and what’s bringing you into therapy. We’ll use a genogram, a visual map of your family and relational history, to explore how past experiences and generational patterns may still be influencing your current challenges. We’ll also identify the goals you’d like to focus on in our work together.
Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.
I believe that all solutions lie within each individual, and my role is to help you uncover them. I approach each client with compassion and intuition, tuning into both your words and non-verbal cues to truly understand you. I have absolute faith in your ability to heal, grow, and discover new strengths within yourself. My job is to guide you on that journey, supporting your transformation every step of the way.
Describe the client(s) you are best positioned to serve.
Whether you’re feeling overwhelmed by anxiety, working through trauma, navigating grief, or facing challenges in your relationships, I’m here to support you with compassion and care. I also have a special passion for working with families—through the ups and downs of pre-marital counseling, marriage, divorce, adoption, foster care, neurodivergence, grief, and blended family transitions. These seasons can be complex and tender, and I’m here to help you find strength, resilience, and deeper connection in the midst of it all.
About Jennifer Kim-Ardakani
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Serves ages
Licensed in
Address
5891 Cedar Lk Rd S, St. Louis Park, MN 55416, 205Appointments
Virtual & in-personMy treatment methods
Brainspotting
I use Brainspotting therapy because it’s one of the most efficient and effective ways to help clients move through stuckness. Unlike traditional talk therapy alone, Brainspotting accesses the deeper layers of the brain and body, where trauma, limiting beliefs, and emotional blocks are often stored. By identifying and processing these stored experiences, clients gain clarity, insight, and a deeper understanding of how their past has shaped their present — including their belief systems and mental health challenges. This approach allows healing to happen not just intellectually, but somatically and neurologically, leading to profound and lasting transformation.
Attachment-based
Attachment-based therapy is rooted in the understanding that our earliest relationships — especially with primary caregivers — shape the way we connect, communicate, and handle conflict throughout life. These early experiences become the blueprint for how we navigate intimacy, trust, and emotional safety. In my practice, I use attachment-based therapy to help clients explore and heal the wounds that stem from those formative relationships. When early attachment is inconsistent, neglectful, or ruptured, it can lead to patterns of anxiety, avoidance, or difficulty feeling secure in relationships. This therapeutic approach provides a safe and supportive space to understand those patterns, heal the parts of ourselves that were hurt or neglected, and begin to build new, healthier ways of relating to others. Through this work, clients develop more secure, authentic connections — with both themselves and the people in their lives.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
In my practice, I use CBT to help clients identify unhelpful thought patterns and core beliefs that no longer serve them. Many of these beliefs were formed as protective strategies in response to past experiences — but over time, they can become rigid and limiting. CBT provides tools to challenge these patterns, reframe thoughts, and develop healthier ways of thinking and responding. It empowers clients with practical strategies they can use outside of sessions, creating real and lasting change in how they relate to themselves and the world around them.
Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)
In my practice, I use EFT to guide clients into the deeper emotions beneath their reactions — often fear, hurt, or longing — and help them express these feelings in ways that foster understanding, empathy, and healing. Whether working with couples or individuals, this process uncovers and reshapes the emotional bonds that influence how we relate to ourselves and others. Through EFT, clients learn to break free from reactive cycles, develop emotional resilience, and create more secure, meaningful connections. It’s not just about solving surface problems — it’s about transforming the emotional landscape underneath.
Couples Counseling
In my work with couples, I use a tailored blend of Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Brainspotting, and the Prepare/Enrich assessment to help partners reconnect, heal, and grow both individually and together. Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) helps couples identify and shift the emotional patterns and attachment dynamics that lead to disconnection. It supports partners in accessing vulnerability, rebuilding trust, and creating deeper emotional intimacy. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) offers practical tools to examine unhelpful thought patterns, improve communication, and resolve conflict. It helps couples shift from blame or defensiveness to clarity, compassion, and problem-solving. Brainspotting allows us to access and process the deeper, often subconscious emotional blocks or past wounds that may be influencing the relationship — such as trauma, emotional shutdown, or reactivity. This powerful method supports emotional regulation and healing at a nervous system level. Prepare/Enrich is a research-based assessment tool I use to support couples at all stages — from premarital to long-term partnerships. It provides insight into strengths, growth areas, and communication patterns, offering a structured way to enhance understanding and connection. By integrating these approaches, couples can gain insight, process pain, learn new tools, and build a more secure, fulfilling relationship — one grounded in empathy, respect, and authentic connection.