About Me
I am a licensed clinical social worker, integrative psychotherapist, AND person living with chronic illness.
Hi, I’m Jen.
Jen/She/Her
I am a licensed clinical social worker (Illinois, Washington, Oregon, New York), Board Certified Diplomate in Clinical Social Work (BCD), and integrative psychotherapist.
I received a master’s degree in social work from Fordham University Graduate School of Social Service in New York City from which I graduated at the top of my class. I completed certification in advanced traumatic stress studies at the Trauma Research Foundation, somatic trauma therapy through The Embody Lab, and am a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional through the International Association of Trauma Professionals. I hold additional certification in holistic health counseling and coaching from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and am a Reiki practitioner through Northwest Healing Studios. I have trained in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique), ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy), CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), trauma-informed yoga, and Transcendental Meditation (TM). I have created curriculum for and taught classes on trauma-informed care and abuse and trauma at the graduate schools of social work of Columbia University and Portland State University, as well as trainings for medical and behavioral health practitioners on providing trauma and social justice informed care for people living with complex chronic illness..
My interest in social justice began growing up in NYC.
As a child, I watched my father work tirelessly to ensure the law served those impacted by violence, including police brutality. Later, as a documentary producer I had the privilege of meeting and sharing the stories of people from all walks of life - many of them survivors (and perpetrators) of violence.
After 10 years of working as a documentary television producer and writer, I recognized that I could be doing much more to directly serve communities facing injustice. I left TV, went to graduate school, and became a social worker. This path granted me the opportunity to work directly with survivors of domestic violence, sexual/physical assault, gun violence, child abuse, and medical trauma in community mental health clinics and as the crime victim social worker in the largest public hospital in New York City. It was in these spaces that I had the privilege of finding my calling and am grateful to all of those who continue to entrust me with their care during some of the most difficult moments of their lives.
I am also a person living with invisible disabilities and have had to learn firsthand how to navigate ableism, including within medical systems.
I believe in working with every client as a whole person, not just as a collection of symptoms.
I am committed to growing individual, community, and organizational (micro and macro) awareness of how what we've experienced in our lives, especially traumatic events, impacts how we live in the present and move forward into the future.
I believe in re-establishing a healthy working relationship between Mind and Body during and following times of extreme stress. There is nothing I love more than facilitating learning, personal insight, growth, and compassionate self-understanding. When people have an "aha!" moment and realize that their lived experiences impacted but didn't break them; that their power and spirit remain fully intact; and that they alone direct the course of their lives even when life presents unexpected challenges. THAT is my reward.
When I am not working...
I'm writing, reading, drawing, storytelling, taking photos, "urban hiking", cooking/baking for sensitive and allergic bodies, listening to music, studying ASL, always learning, and often in motion.
I'm also a proud, eclectic nerd who majored in medieval history in college because of my fascination with the history of medicine and the Black Plague (that started in third grade), always on the hunt for the best possible croissant anywhere I travel, and am still an emo punk kid at heart.
