... Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars;
You have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is
unfolding as it should. 

from Desiderata

---1927 Max Ehrmann

Hello!

I am a Licensed Professional Counselor specializing in therapy for individuals, couples, and families with adolescents.  I have a private practice in beautiful Silverton, OR and I serve people from all of the surrounding areas including Salem and Keizer.  Previously I worked for Salem-Keizer Schools as a counselor for at-risk teens who were expelled and who were dealing with behavioral and emotional issues such as self-injury/cutting, anger control, depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, parents' divorce, and grief and loss.

I have been working as a mental health counselor since 2009 and I became a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) with the state of Oregon in 2016.  My career as a licensed school counselor began in 2004. Before becoming a school counselor, I owned a successful business for 14 years which allowed me to work with women across the United States as a nationally recognized speaker, trainer and business leader.  For over a decade, I provided training in leadership, communication skills, goal-setting, personal growth and parenting.  

With over 25 years experience combined as an educator, mentor, and counselor, I now work with a broad spectrum of clients.  My areas of expertise include working with:

• women seeking to feel more empowered and balanced 
• couples seeking more connection and harmony
• families seeking healthier relationships
• individuals and families coping with transitions, grief and/or loss

I bring to this work my own experience with personal loss; and, in fact, providing the hospice care for my husband and both of my parents until their deaths from cancer greatly contributed to my calling to become a professional therapist.  I love my work!  I have a deep faith in the human spirit and I am constantly in awe of the resiliency of children, adolescents, and adults.

My approach to counseling has been shaped by attachment theory which focuses on the relationships and bonds between people and is primarily experiential and systemic.  I use elements of interpersonal theory and cognitive-behavioral therapy and employ strength-based techniques such as mindfulness.  I am passionate about working with couples and when doing so, I use the principles and techniques of Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), which has been acknowledged by the American Psychological Association as an empirically proven form of couple therapy.  I also work with individuals who are struggling with trauma issues and have found EMDR therapy, which has helped millions of people of all ages relieve many types of psychological stress, to be very effective.

Research has shown that the most important factor in predicting success in therapy is the quality of the relationship between the therapist and the client.  In fact, the research found this relationship to be even more important than what kind of training the therapist has had or how long he or she has been practicing.  

Please contact me if you are interested and I look forward to meeting you and to being of service.   

Warmly, Jody

  

Education and Training

• Masters Degree in Secondary Education -WESTERN OREGON UNIVERSITY
• Mental Health Counseling graduate coursework -LEWIS AND CLARK COLLEGE and PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY
• Marital, Couple and Family Counseling graduate coursework -PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY
• Pastoral Counseling graduate coursework -MARYLHURST UNIVERSITY
• Specialized, professional training in Bereavement Skills -CENTER FOR LOSS AND LIFE TRANSITION (Colorado)
• Specialized, professional training in Emotionally Focused Therapy -INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR EXCELLENCE IN EFT
• Specialized professional training in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) -EMDR INSTITUTE

Professional Credentials

• Licensed Professional Counselor with the Oregon Board of Licensed Professional Counselors and Therapists

Professional Memberships

• American Counseling Association (ACA)

• Oregon Counseling Association (ORCA)

• International Community of Emotionally Focused Therapy (ICEEFT)

• Oregon Community of Emotionally Focused Therapy (OCEFT)