Licensed to practice in Florida and accepts 9 insurances. Specializes in Life Transitions, Anxiety, Depression and 10 more.
New to Grow
I am Jennifer McCollum, a licensed counselor specializing in grief, resilience, and complex life transitions. My practice supports an eclectic mix of adults, children, and families navigating trauma, loss, and personal growth. As a Gold Star Spouse and school system veteran, I bridge the gap between clinical expertise and lived understanding. Together, we slow down, process the heavy chapters, and find your footing.
Welcome. I am Jennifer McCollum, a licensed counselor specializing in grief, resilience, and complex life transitions. My practice supports an eclectic mix of adults, children, and families navigating trauma, sudden loss, and personal growth. My path to clinical counseling began with a strong foundation in family and child development, followed by a pivot to graduate school born from a series of life transitions. This journey, combined with my personal lived experience navigating sudden, complex family loss forms the heart of my practice. It bridges the gap between deep clinical expertise and authentic lived understanding. My approach is grounded in Interpersonal Neurobiology and Polyvagal theory. I work alongside you as a partner, helping you reframe heavy emotional struggles and systemic exhaustion as nervous system reactions rather than personal failures. Together, we will slow down, process the heavy chapters, and help you walk toward a true sense of settle. You don’t have to chart this territory alone.
The greatest strength I bring to our sessions is a unique blend of extensive family development experience, deep clinical training, and authentic lived authority. My approach stands out because I view your struggles through the lens of Interpersonal Neurobiology and Polyvagal theory. This means we don't just talk about your challenges; we explore your nervous system together. I help you shift from a place of self-blame and exhaustion to a place of felt safety and understanding. As a public school clinician and a Gold Star Spouse, I am uniquely equipped to hold space for complex trauma, grief, and systemic burnout. Clients describe my style as a warm, grounded partnership. I don’t act as a corporate coach with easy answers; instead, I bring a calm, regulated presence to sit with you in the heaviest chapters of life. I am a safe place to find rest and seek clarity. My goal is to help you slow down, process through the muck and mire, and reclaim a lasting sense of calm.
I am best positioned to serve a diverse, eclectic mix of adults, families, and children who are navigating heavy life transitions, complex grief, or systemic exhaustion. My ideal clients don’t fit into a single box, but they often share a common mindset: they are feeling deeply weary from carrying life's unexpected disruptions and are looking for an authentic partner to help them find their bearings. Whether you are a parent feeling depleted by rigid institutional systems, an individual walking through the isolating fog of sudden loss, or someone simply seeking personal growth during a major life shift, you have a place in my practice. I work exceptionally well with those who are tired of easy answers or self-blame, and who are ready to explore new perspectives. Your goal might be to process traumatic grief, establish boundaries, or improve emotional regulation—whatever the muck looks like for you, we will wade through it together.
I identify as
Polyvagal Therapy
In our sessions, I use Polyvagal Theory to help you move out of a constant state of survival, defense, or exhaustion. Rather than just analyzing your thoughts, we look at how your nervous system tracks stress and trauma. By understanding your body’s signals, we can work together to co-regulate, calm your physiology, and build a reliable sense of internal safety.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
While we focus heavily on the nervous system, CBT gives us a practical framework to examine the loop between your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Together, we will gently explore the heavy narratives or negative thought patterns that keep you stuck, reframing them so you can set healthier boundaries and handle daily challenges with greater clarity.
Psychoeducation
I believe that knowledge opens a sense of clarity and removes underlying shame. In our sessions, I help demystify the science of trauma, development, and neurobiology so you can understand why your brain and body are reacting the way they do to a heavy load. Turning confusion into insight proves that you aren’t broken—you are simply experiencing a normal response to an abnormal amount of stress.
Grief Therapy
Grief is not a disease to be cured or a problem to be fixed; it is an experience to be carried. My approach to grief therapy honors the isolating, complex fog of sudden loss. I provide a dedicated, unhurried space to sit with you in the muck, process the heavy chapters of your story, and help you discover meaning and life after loss at your own pace.
Strength-Based
You are the ultimate expert on your own life, and you already possess an inherent capacity for resilience. My strength-based approach means we don’t focus solely on what is broken or disordered. Instead, we actively identify and build upon your existing internal resources, family development assets, and personal victories to help you reclaim your footing and grow.