Hello! I’m Jen
I am a registered Canadian counselor and psychotherapist (CCC), EMDRIA-approved consultant, and Registered Canadian Art Therapist (RCAT) currently based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. I am trained in a range of evidence-based trauma treatment modalities and have specialized in sexual violence, complex trauma and dissociation, generational and historical trauma, vicarious trauma, and working with conflict-affected populations.
In addition to providing specialized trauma treatment through my online private practice (since 2018), I am actively involved in various projects in Ethiopia. This includes offering ongoing psychosocial support to frontline staff working directly with survivors of conflict-related sexual violence, a project funded by the German Development Cooperation GIZ.
Since 2019, I have been a trauma advisor to Medica Mondiale, an international women’s rights organization, supporting training on trauma sensitivity for health professionals in conflict-affected settings—such as Kurdistan and Kosovo—with a focus on self-care and burnout prevention. I also worked in Vietnam at an international clinic and with Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation, an organization in Hanoi, supporting a team of psychologists working with survivors of human trafficking (2016-2018).
My passion for global mental health and humanitarian work is unwavering. I am an alumnus of Harvard’s Program in Refugee Trauma (HPRT) and McGill University’s Transcultural Psychiatry Summer Program. I am also a returning guest lecturer at Heidelberg University’s Public Health in Emergencies program, where I train health professionals on trauma-sensitive care for individuals impacted by sexual violence in conflict and crisis settings.
Beginning my career in Northwest British Columbia with Indigenous communities (2011-2016), I learned to integrate culturally responsive approaches into trauma recovery, such as nature-based practices and Indigenous Focusing-Oriented Therapy (IFOT). As a registered Canadian art therapist, I highly value the power of the creative arts in trauma recovery work. I am an editor and co-author of EMDR and Creative Arts Therapies (2022), a book combining EMDR and the creative arts for the treatment of complex trauma with diverse populations.
My Approach and Clinical Specializations
There is no treatment modality that works for everyone. I work collaboratively with my clients to find the approaches that will meet their individual needs while building on their resources, strengths, and supports. Although I bring the clinical and trauma treatment skills, I trust my clients as the experts on their life, goals, and needs for recovery.
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) for:
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- Post-traumatic stress
- Attachment and early childhood trauma
- Acute and recent trauma
- Cumulative trauma for frontline workers
- Eating disorders and behavioral addictions
- Medical trauma
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- Internal family systems (Level II)
- Interpersonal therapy (IPT)
- Trauma center trauma sensitive yoga (TCTSY)
- The Flash technique
- Progressive Counting
- Indigenous focusing-oriented therapy
- Trauma-informed art therapy and creative arts therapies
- Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT)
- Mindfulness-based practice
- Non-violent communication skills
- Theraplay (for the treatment of attachment trauma in children and families)
- Ethics in cross-cultural practice
Professional Registrations
- Certified Canadian Counsellor (CCC) with the Canadian Counselling Psychotherapy Association, member #4885
- Certified EMDR Therapist and Consultant with the EMDR International Association, member #54365360
- Registered Canadian Art Therapist (RCAT) with the Canadian Art Therapy Association, member #200-R-16
- Certified Trauma Treatment Professional Level II (CTTP-II)
- TCTSY Practitioner with the Center for Trauma and Embodiment
- Advanced Certificate in Indigenous Focusing Oriented Therapy and Complex Trauma from the Justice Institute of British Columbia
Contact Jen
Ask a question, make an inquiry or schedule a free meet-and-greet by contacting me using the form below!