Professional Training

Jennifer graduated with her Master’s Degree in Social Work from Wilfrid Laurier University, this degree was bestowed (in 1999) with a medal of distinction for exemplary academic achievement. Prior to this, Jennifer graduated with an Honours degree in Psychology and completed a thesis on Family Socialization.  Jennifer is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Transpersonal Psychology with the University of Sedona.

Additionally, Jennifer has completed a Certificate in Conflict Resolution and Mediation from the University of Waterloo, has completed advanced training in Emotion Focussed Therapy (EFT), Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT) and Somatic Experiencing Therapy (SE).   She has also participated in additional training with the School of Marriage & Family Therapy through the University of Guelph. 

Jennifer has completed a post-graduate degree and certification as a Master Executive & Personal Life Coach with the College of Executive Coaching. She has also completed certification as a Coaching Practitioner with the Coaching Federation. All this training leading to Certification with the International Coaches Federation.

In recent years Jennifer has completed training in teaching Mindfulness at Mindful Schools as well as with Daniel Rechtschaffen with Mindful Education. Jennifer has also become certified to teach MBSR-T with Gina Biegel the creator of this adapted program for teens, also known as Stressed Teens.  She is specialized in providing Mindfulness training groups to children from ages 4 - young adulthood.  Jennifer's groups have been very successful. To further her passion, Jennifer wrote her own children's illustrated book - see Jack the Jack Pine.  Her second children’s illustrated book Bedeilia the Beautiful Butterfly is ready to be published.

In addition to the above, Jennifer has been interested for many years in mind-body-spirit connection. In her explorations she’s become a practitioner in many energy medicine techniques - Reiki Master, Access Bars, level 3 Healing Touch, Jin Shin Do (which is acupressure combined with deep listening), Donna Eden Energy Medicine, Chakras healing, Meridian balancing, Aura cleansing and more. Recognizing that when mental, physical and energetic systems align everything flows. She also trained with Integrated Physician Dr. Anne Marie Chiasson specifically learning how to incorporate holistic Energy Healing into her practise.

Jennifer has been on a discovery path and has trained with Sandra Ingerman, well know Psychotherapist and Shaman. Jennifer completed Denise Linn’s Space Clearing training, two levels of Jeffrey Allen’s Energy Medicine training, completed several introductory courses in Alberto Villoldo’s Energy Healing training, completed an in-depth course on Chakra Energy Healing and finally has explored the energy of Crystals and how they can support an encourage our healing.

Jennifer feels that in order to be an effective psychotherapist she will always be on a path of learning.

Life Moments

Fear not.

You will rise up.

Sometimes we feel broken; in fact, we are in incubation and healing.

You are seen. You are heard. You are understood.

You are not alone.

Specializations

Jennifer specializes in treating trauma, including complex, developmental, shock trauma and PTSD.

Her last fifteen years were dedicated to learning how the body holds our story and messages us. Understanding, when we honour the body we can process issues effectively.

This has entailed training in Somatic Experiencing Psychotherapy, Sensory Motor Psychotherapy, Energy Medicine, Yoga, Gestalt, Reiki, Healing Touch, and Peruvian Shamanism. She uses these approaches to enhance your experience as you explore your inner self.

This adds to her training in DBT, CBT, Transpersonal Psychology, Emotion Focussed Therapy, and Psychodynamic Psychotherapy.

Work Experience

Jennifer has over 20 years of experience in the medical and mental health systems. In Jennifer's pre-graduate years she began working at an adult drug rehabilitation centre as well as a local crisis centre. This is where she learned the true nature of what it meant to be a support person, advocate and counsellor.  

Following post-graduate studies, she furthered her career working at an adolescent treatment centre and then moved on to the hospital system where the majority of her years were devoted to working in psychiatry. Jennifer also served as the Ombudsman for the same hospital, honing her mediation skills. Jennifer went on to work with The Mindfulness Clinic, based out of Toronto; a wonderful team of therapists devoted to wrapping all therapeutic approaches with a Mindfulness Philosophy. Jennifer was previously the Director of Program and Clinical Services at Horizon Counselling, Consulting and Training a centre that is devoted to helping adults work through childhood trauma. She also enjoyed working at the Halton Trauma Centre where she provided treatment services to children from ages 7 - 18 who experienced significant trauma. 

Jennifer believes in giving back to her community and volunteered her services to Cameron Helps Charity (NFP). She was acclaimed as Clinical Director and for ten years she worked alongside a passionate group of committed members that saw the growth of CameronHelps from a small table to a large organization making positive changes. Cameron Helps' goal was to educate teenagers on how to recognize and get help when they are feeling depressed and suicidal. Their focus was and still is, physical health for mental health. As part of this venture, Jennifer did regular talks for parents or teens at high schools. Jennifer also supported the development of CameronHelps flagship program, TeamUnbreakable’s curriculum that included a focus on teaching coping skills derived from Dialectical Behavioural Therapy. Jennifer left in 2018 to start a new venture.

January 2018 Jennifer founded Exhale Academy for Healing & Personal Development. A centre that uniquely married Western and Eastern Philosophies for overall wellness. After having completed significant training in trauma recovery, it was clear that having one place an individual could go for holistic care would be highly beneficial. It was quite an impressive project and large undertaking.

Sadly in April 2019 Jennifer sustained a catastrophic brain injury by way of a car accident and has been unable to return to her career. Her family, friends and colleagues rally around her. Jennifer has been very blessed that many of her colleagues stood by her, and stepped in to help carry on her vision at her Oakville office - renaming it The Brighton Centre and keeping the doors open for another year.

Jennifer was an avid learner, a curious mind, always in training and supervision to further her skills. She regularly consulted with experts in her areas of interest. This was a wonderful asset for her clients as they were benefiting from a wealth of shared knowledge.

There is no doubt that through her own current traumatic experience she will use this as an opportunity to learn, grow and envelop this into a way to bring it back into her work to help you in the future, one day.

Professional Memberships

Registered in good standing with the Ontario College of Social Workers, since 2000

member in good standing with the Ontario Association of Social Workers, since 2000 

member of the Certified Coaching Federation 2010

Certification with the International Coaches Federation 2012

Completion of Fundamentals and Curriculum training at Mindful Schools 2015

Somatic Experiencing Intermediate 3

Healing Touch Level 3

Reiki Master & Teacher, Energy Medicine Practitioner

Inducted into Pachakuti Mesa Shamanism and trained to do journeying, cleansing and healing

Specializations

Through extensive training and in-depth supervision with accredited leaders and modality creators in the field. Jennifer has proven to provide in-depth specialized treatment for: