COMPLEX/RELATIONAL TRAUMA THERAPY
Jennifer holds an Honours Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counselling and an Honours Bachelor of Science in Psychology. She is a Professional Member of the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA), a Certified Trauma Professional (CTP), a National Certified Counsellor (NCC) in the U.S, and a Certified Clinical Supervisor.
Jennifer works with adult clients who have experienced intergenerational and interpersonal traumas in their upbringing and in their adult relationships. We may have had unavailable caregivers whom did not have the tools to provide essential emotional support, which then shaped our sense of shame and other core beliefs about our worth. We needed to feel safe and protected, to be guided with the appropriate balance of security and independence to develop self-trust and confidence in our decision making. We learned to adapt and survive with coping strategies that continue to exist and may no longer be helpful in our adult lives.
We all need to feel seen, heard, validated, known, and respected. My hope, as a neutral guide, is to assist you in contemplating the bigger picture of your life and relationships, to witness patterns, promote self-compassion, and make connections between past and present that may inform change for a richer future for yourself and your relationships.
I work with clients to unpack and understand their relational experiences, family roles, unmet needs, adverse childhood experiences, community, systemic, and environmental challenges, and resiliency factors in order to inform more emotionally intelligent, secure, and confident ways of being with themselves and others in the here-and-now and promote an increasingly meaningful and authentic existence for the collective greater good.
I use a trauma-informed approach that asks the question, “what happened to you”, instead of “what’s wrong with you”. We begin with a detailed familial/personal/health history which examines your experiences, relationships, and perceptions and evolves into a collaborative process of safely exploring symptoms and concerns through a lens of understanding the contributing factors of adversity and resilience. I work from an integrative, collaborative, interpersonal approach that supports the therapeutic relationship as an important function of the process for building healthier relationships outside of the therapist’s office.
This work is not easy. Difficult and uncomfortable emotions arise in therapy. I aim to support you from a place of respect and compassion while gently challenging you to move out of your ‘stuckness’ toward conscious change, an improved sense of self, confidence, meaning, and greater joy in your life.
INSTAGRAM@jliesen.psychotherapy
*PLEASE ENSURE YOUR INSURANCE INCLUDES COVERAGE BY A REGISTERED PSYCHOTHERAPIST
