Greetings, my name is Jenni , I use the pronouns she/her/ella, and I am an LCSW/LICSW serving Oregon and Washington. I’ve spent the last 15 years, mostly in Chicago, practicing in multicultural and multiracial settings. Specific areas I have spent time working in are counseling for sexual abuse/assault and domestic violence, community-based trauma and mental health, neighborhood-based health care, and mental health in corrections.
I prioritize working with recent immigrants, and the Queer, BIPOC, and LGBTQIA + community. I work with adults who struggle to manage the ups and downs of their emotions but aren’t sure why, want to set more boundaries with others in their life, are trying to break cycles of generational trauma in their family of origin, have a history of chaotic and inconsistent caregivers and relationships and might be trying to reduce contact, and have recently had life-altering transitions. Overall, I believe that therapy is one small piece towards thriving and wellness and I actively encourage my clients to connect to other forms of care that call to them such as acupuncture, ketamine-assisted services under the care of a medical provider, massage, art, physical therapy, breathwork, dance, groups, nature and naturopathic care as they can.
A note on treatment models and frameworks– If you are interested in a specific type of treatment please note that I will draw from a variety of areas, I don't believe one model fits everything and all people. My decision to use certain models and frameworks comes through education on best practices for presenting challenges, intuition, and collaboration with my clients. In my practice, I am informed by and will utilize components of, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance Commitment Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Level 1, Attachment Theory, Interpersonal Neurobiology, and Trauma Informed Mindfulness. I am also an EMDR Trained Clinician. I consider these tools and frames in which to add to the work and I am also mindful of their limitations in healing and acknowledging the impacts of racism, oppression, and micro-aggressions on life and the spirit.
Personal Orientations’ - I believe in the inherent healing that happens when we are connected to one another’s humanity. I did not come to this work as a “blank slate” and there are orientations I carry that impact how I show up in our time together. I identify as "Blended/Mixed,” with ancestry from Northwestern Europe and Mexico (Indigenous/Spanish/African), and as a cis heterosexual, neurodivergent, woman. Sobriety is at the core of my life and I have been sober for 14 years. I intentionally center the work and voices of BIPOC and LGBTQIA +, and those advocating for disability rights in my education and training.
When I’m not providing therapy or reading about it, I love to garden and try to keep up with my 3-year-old (usually at the same time.) My curiosity has taken me on many travels, which is an important part of who I am. My body and spirit need to get outside every day and this helps ground me as a human, partner, mom, sister, friend, and therapist.