Meet Jen
Jennifer Simmons, Licensed Professional Counselor
My name is Jennifer (Jen) Simmons and my preferred pronouns are she/hers. I received my Bachelor’s degree in Psychology at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. As I was finishing that degree, I felt a huge need to incorporate more of the human experience within psychology, leading me to Naropa University where I received my Masters degree in Contemplative Counseling Psychology in 2014.
Contemplative psychotherapy offers a different approach to mental health by focusing on the individual’s “brilliant sanity” which refers to the awareness and reason that is always within a person, even if it sometimes gets buried by confusion or anxiety. By using that lens in therapy, awareness and compassion for oneself are more easily accessible.
By using awareness and compassion, expansion follows, allowing for more openness, which provides a catalyst for change, growth, self-inquiry, and self-discovery.
During my internship, I worked as a school counselor for grades K-8, and also saw children, adolescents, adults, and couples in individual sessions. My past experience includes several years of extensive grief and loss counseling: working in hospice, as a family therapist at a funeral home, and also as a grief counselor for children. I also have experience as an adoption and birthparent counselor where I assisted birth parents with open adoptions (pregnancy through postpartum), and helped to facilitate the life-long relationship between adoptive parents and birth parents.
I really enjoy working with young adults/college students who are just leaving home to go to school or to start a career. My current experience is with eating disorders which can include work with shame and guilt, anxiety management, depression, stress, negative self-esteem, negative body image, life transitions, relationships, radical acceptance, self-care, intuitive eating, health at every size, emotion management, and others.
Education is extremely important to me, and I believe it is an essential, fundamental duty as a therapist to continue personal growth.
I am currently in the dissertation phase of my Ph.D in Integral Transpersonal Psychology from California Institute of Integral Studies, focusing on the somatic experience of awe and how those cues from our body are giving important, potentially overlooked, information.
When I am not working, I truly enjoy being outdoors in the garden or learning some new recipe or technique in the kitchen. I have two beautiful kittens (Talula and Corbin) that I spoil, and I hope to be adding a dog to my family in the near future. Who said you had to be a dog OR a cat person!
I am a proud member of The American Psychological Association, The Parapsychological Association, The Academy for Eating Disorders, and The International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals.
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My Approach to Therapy
The style and approach I use as a therapist is unique due to my clinical background, and my counseling training which includes blended approaches from Eastern and Western traditions. In addition, my transpersonal psychology training in my PhD program provides a multitude of holistic, mind-body modalities and therapeutic approaches I can utilize based off of your needs.
I find person-centered, strength-based, and solution-focused therapy to be the most common approaches used in my practice, however, I enjoy Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Exposure Response Prevention (ERP), Mindfulness and Meditation, Positive Psychology, Narrative Therapy, Art Therapy, and many other frameworks as well.
My integrative, holistic style is specifically tailored to meet each person’s unique needs and goals.
It is important to me to find an approach that interests you, as well as helps you feel supported on your wellness journey.
Therapy is a journey of healing and hope. In session, I will encourage you to trust your gut, trust the process, and trust yourself in what you need. I will encourage you to explore and honor any mistakes you might make, seeing that sometimes obstacles or mistakes can in fact be opportunities!
I listen carefully to your needs and help you to get unstuck by identifying areas of personal strength and weakness. I do this with a warm, yet direct approach, and will ask questions, examine behaviors, and hold you accountable in the goals that we make together. I am here to help!
We will work to replace stale or unproductive behaviors with fresh, new, healthy ideas using skills, exercises, and homework as necessary. Together we will work on building an achievable treatment plan using tangible and practical skills to help attain your personal goals. All I ask of you is to show up, and together we will do the work!
As a therapist, nothing brings me more joy than seeing a client making positive movement towards whatever their own goals for treatment are. With a nonjudgmental, yet supportive approach, and a sprinkle of humor, I hope to show you that therapy can be a safe place to explore your true, authentic, fundamentally good, self.