LCSW, 32 years of experience
Frequently rebooked
Welcome to my practice. I am a seasoned therapist and have worked in many different settings over many years. All I ever wanted to do is help people have their best lives. I practiced social work with a Bachelors degree in prisons, community agencies for the disabled, a state hospital, a state facility for people with cognitive challenges, child and family welfare work and working with folks in community care homes. I also developed and led a community program for Guardians ad Litem in child abuse and neglect cases. Then I went back to school and earned my Masters in Social Work and then my therapy credentials after many hours of supervision. I truly enjoy listening and encouraging clients to embrace strategies for wellness and self-compassion using mindfulness and compassion and strength based materials. I am actively engaged in consult groups with other therapists focusing on trans and queer issues. For several years I taught at the graduate school level in South Carolina and then Utah, teaching social work students skills for working ethically and compassionately.
I welcome clients every time they come into the therapy space. Telling them we have 45 to 50 minutes to discuss what is important today and how we can create and achieve goals for managing whatever issues are important to them. My sessions involve a lot of dialog, and I do use humor as appropriate, and I am careful to create a cool down period a few minutes before the end of session. Gathering the threads together so the client leaves feeling seen and heard, ideally with a new skill to try in the days between sessions. Sharing meditation videos and sometimes books and articles is part of my toolkit as well.
I really care about my clients, while maintaining and explaining healthy boundaries. I have many years of experience in various institutional, community and university settings and all of that has meant I can relate to clients with a variety of life experiences.
I believe I am best paired with folks who want to feel less anxious, more effective, less depressed and who seek joy. Folks who want to be truly seen and heard by those around them. I work well with adults who are grieving either someone who has died or is very ill or for other losses in life that are heart breaking. My passion, as a straight ally, is working with LGBTQ+ people who are navigating an increasingly hostile environment and need support and understanding.
I have attended training taught by Drs Kristin Neff and Christopher Germer and used Dr Germer's book as the basis of teaching a graduate level course for social workers in mindfulness and compassion therapy. Use techniques from this material in my practice all the time and have done for over ten years.
Trained in this modality about 12 years ago and use precepts from Feminist therapy regularly in my practice
Similarly to my use of compassion work, I routinely use mindfulness material and encourage mindfulness practice in my work with clients and have done so for years.
3 ratings with written reviews
July 17, 2025
It was just our first session , but she was so friendly . She has a good sense of humor . She seemed very caring and intelligent. I look forward to seeing her next week . She was a joy to talk to !
June 24, 2025
Jania is not just authentic and direct, she is all of the above. I feel so much lighter after speaking with her and look forward to each session.
June 20, 2025
Ms. Sommers listened to my concerns and made adjustments to how the intake session works for me to make the most out of it. She tried to understand what I expected from sessions and kept the session interactive. She did not force me into one specific area nor did she interrupt or ask questions just to fill up a form.