Hi! I’m Jen. I’m so glad you’re here.
I’m a licensed clinical psychotherapist, couple counsellor and energetic healer who uses an integrated, and personalised process for helping individuals and couples heal from attachment adaptations and childhood trauma to foster more secure attachment internally and with those you love. I’m the author of Heal Your Anxious Attachment and the host of the Psychotherapy Central Podcast, where we explore love, attachment and healing trauma.
No Bad Parts – Everything you need to know about Internal Family Systems (IFS)
No Bad Parts is the name of Richard Schwartz’s book on Internal Family Systems (IFS). In it he describes the foundation of his modality and how it works. All parts need and deserve love, compassion and understanding. They are all …
The 5 Stages of a relationship
Reminder: it is NORMAL to have conflict in a relationship. Excellent relationship researchers, the Gottman’s, discovered that it was not the number of disputes that determined if a relationship was robust or not, but how the couple resolved the conflict.Notice …
6 Best Trauma Books From A Licensed Therapist
Over the years, I have collected a few – these are the stand-outs. Notice that there is a lot of Peter Levine, the founder of Somatic Experiencing. His books contain deep insight into the nature of trauma and how to …
Ariel’s Birthday
She came four weeks early on her grandmother’s 60th birthday. I remember watching her sleep in the special care nursery. She looked like a porcelain doll with no eyebrows or eyelashes. She was so beautiful and perfect in every way.That …
Filtering The World
“Part of mothering seems to be filtering the world so it’s bearable, taking in toxins and pumping out oxygen like a tree.” - Anna Funder (Wifedom).
A Trauma-Informed Perspective
The call to adopt a ‘trauma-informed’ approach is growing louder as awareness of PTSD increases. Each year, approximately 8 million adults experience PTSD, making it highly likely that we will interact with someone with these symptoms. Understanding the potential underlying …
New Research Shows: Optimism Boosts Longevity
Fascinating new findings in the realm of longevity! “Optimism is Associated with Exceptional Longevity in Two Cohorts of Men and Women,” published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, highlights the powerful link between a positive outlook and …
Believe Actions, Not Words
Notice patterns of behaviour. They will tell you a lot about a person. Agree?
Emotional Neglect
Emotional neglect is sometimes normalised in families. It might have been in the name of being ‘rational’, ‘successful’, ‘wealthy’, ‘busy’, or not ‘spoiling’ the children. Often, the parents have not been taught the language of emotional attunement. They are simply …
Leadership and Self-Awareness
In this episode of Psychotherapy Central, we welcome Sue McDonnell, a seasoned psychotherapist and executive coach, to explore the profound connections between leadership and self-awareness. Sue shares her extensive experience working with executive teams and senior leaders, highlighting how conscious …
How Trauma Affects the Brain
Trauma affects the brain, especially the prefrontal cortex, amygdala and hippocampus. Ongoing trauma is associated with “lasting change in these brain areas” (Bremmer, 2006). When there is a potential threat, the amygdala sends an instant message to the hippocampus, activating …