Jennifer Sparks
I'm a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with more than 20 years of experience helping people navigate anxiety, trauma, grief, and executive functioning challenges. My style is warm, positive, collaborative, and highly practical. We work as a team to understand what's getting in your way and build skills you can actually use in your everyday life. My work is very much focused on the here and now: helping you become more aware of what's happening in the moment, get unstuck from patterns that aren't serving you, and take meaningful steps toward where you want to go. I use a science-informed, skills-based framework I've developed called Create the Win, which offers practical tools for navigating difficult moments and creating more choice in how you respond. Ultimately, I want to help you spend less time feeling stuck or overwhelmed and more time actively living the life that matters to you.
First session
My first priority is getting to know you, to understand what's bringing you in, what's getting in your way, and what you would like to be different in your life. I want you to leave your first session feeling understood, supported, and hopeful that there is a path forward.
Strengths
One of my greatest strengths is helping people turn insight into action. I'm warm, supportive, and strength-based, but I'm also an active therapist. I'll listen and hold space when that's what you need, but I'll also ask questions, offer a different perspective, teach practical skills, and sometimes gently challenge you when I see a pattern that may be keeping you stuck. Over the years, I developed many of the tools I use in my work while looking for practical ways to navigate my own moments of overwhelm and getting stuck. That experience helped shape an approach that is highly skills-based and focused on real life. Rather than stopping at understanding why something is happening, we'll work together on what you can do with that awareness and practice tools you can use outside of our sessions. Some of the most meaningful feedback I receive is when clients tell me they aren't just feeling better in therapy, they're learning how to help themselves. My goal is for you to leave our work with greater confidence in your own ability to navigate difficult moments, make choices that work for you, and move toward the life you want
Ideal clients
I work best with adults who are managing the responsibilities of everyday life but may feel anxious, overwhelmed, stuck, or frustrated by patterns that keep getting in their way. You may know that something needs to change but aren't quite sure how to make that change happen. My approach is a great fit if you're ready to actively participate in therapy, learn practical skills, and try small strategies outside of our sessions. You don't need to have everything figured out—you just need some willingness to experiment, practice, and discover what works for you. I especially enjoy helping people build greater confidence in their ability to navigate difficult moments, move through avoidance, and make meaningful changes in their lives.
Treatment methods
Acceptance and commitment (ACT)
I use Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) in a practical, skills-based way. We often start by building awareness, because when you can step back and notice what's happening—your thoughts, feelings, patterns, and reactions—you have more opportunity to choose what you do next rather than responding on autopilot. I'll teach you tools to help you step back from difficult thoughts, regulate when emotions feel overwhelming, and reconnect with the present moment. We'll also look at avoidance and the ways it may be keeping you stuck, and practice taking manageable steps toward things you may normally put off or avoid. Just as importantly, we'll identify what matters to you and where you want your life to go. From there, we'll focus on practical actions that can help you move in that direction. My approach is active and collaborative: the goal isn't just to understand what's happening, but to build skills you can use in everyday life to feel less stuck, have more choice in how you respond, and spend more of your time actually living the life that matters to you.
Location
Virtual sessions
Identifies as
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Serves
Doesn't specialize in
Licensed in
- New JerseyLicense 44SC05851700
- South CarolinaLicense 13516
- VirginiaLicense 0904018281