SeekerWarriorVisionary
I struggled through most of my teens and 20's in a state of post-traumatic stress, chronic fatigue, and complex digestive discomfort. As I came into young adulthood, I searched in every direction for relief.
Jenny is a widow, mother of three girls, mental health counselor, trauma-informed coach, yoga teacher, Reiki master, and author.
In college, I studied psychology, women's health, massage therapy, counseling, and community health. I discovered health psychology, Chinese Medicine, Ayurveda, and acupuncture.
I continued to learn and eventually became a master’s level mental health counselor, massage therapist, aromatherapist, and yoga teacher. I immersed myself in holistic lifestyle and supported others on their path to healing.
In my early 30s, I found a loving partner, and we started a family together. We had three amazing daughters who lit up our world with magic and more love than we both could have ever imagined.
Then, one day, our family life devastatingly fell apart.
My husband died tragically and without warning from a deep, dark depression. In a heartbeat, the life we were living was turned upside down and inside out.
The sadness and fear, layered with gut-wrenching physical pain, was like nothing I had ever experienced. Not only was I living in my own suffering, I was also holding my children's grief. At the time, it seemed impossible to find a way out of the darkness.
Surviving to Thriving
Loss takes you down a dark and scary path. At times, you think you are supposed to run up the path as fast as you can so you can reach the "end." Other times, you want to take a rocky side trail because it has to be better than the path you are on. Frequently, you want to hide in a hole, and often, others are telling you the path has already ended or you should move on.
I can honestly say none of these approaches work. I needed to take each step on the path thoughtfully, literally feeling my way, one step at a time, breathing, slowing down and taking moments of stillness along the way.
I gave myself tremendous grace, stepped boldly along this strange, unknown path of grief, loss, and dramatic changes, felt all the feelings (sadness, anger, frustration, overwhelm, anxiety, and confusion, to name a few), and opened my mind to what it means to embrace my life and who I need and want to be. I walked right into the fire with all my sadness and fear.
I embodied my inner warrior and trusted I was on the right path for me and my children. Then, another interesting thing started to happen. I started to feel moments of true joy, happiness, even peacefulness, safety, comfort, and connection with others while also experiencing fear and pain. The more I felt, the more I healed. The more I tuned into what my body, mind, and soul needed, the more I healed. The more I consciously connected with other humans, the more I healed. The more I healed, the more my girls blossomed. I knew that if I kept trying, exploring, and nurturing joy, great things would happen for me and my family.
With each day, I let go of more fear and worry about the past and future. I feel the shift from living in survival mode to living in a thriving mindset.
Today, the girls and I live a peaceful life full of kaleidoscopic beauty.
Life is often messy and hard, but we always find our way to gratitude and wonder. We are still walking on the path of grief and always will be, but it looks much different these days.
I believe humans have unlimited potential to heal deep pain, build resilience, and nurture a conscious life full of happiness. My experiences through trauma, loss, anxiety, and grief, along with my training and expertise in a diversity of holistic health modalities, brought me to a pivotal point on my journey.
My vision is for all humans to live beautiful lives amidst the messiness, where they feel emotionally safe, empowered, and joyful inside and out!
Jenny’s Credentials
25 years combined experience as a counselor, coach, teacher, and bodyworker
Masters Degree in Counseling Psychology (Specialized in Palliative & Bereavement Care)
Certified Dare To Declare Vision Board Facilitator
Certified in Parent-Infant Mental Health
Advanced Certification in Elementary Education
Certified Integrative Nutrition Coach
Yoga Teacher with Advanced Training in Yoga Psychology & Trauma -Informed Care
Trained Birth Doula + Birth Class Educator
Plant Oil Alchemist
NYS Licensed Massage Therapist - specializing in Women's Health, Pregnancy, & Palliative Care
Infant Massage Instructor
Reiki Master
Professional Speaker
Author