Jennifer Bettger (She/Her)

• Anger
• Anxiety
• Body Image
• Career Dissatisfaction or Transition
• Chronic Pain and Disability
• Depression
• Health and Illness
• Intergenerational Trauma
• Life Crisis and Transitions
• Loneliness and Isolation
• Loss and Grief
• Relationships
• Self-Destructive Patterns
• Self-Esteem
• Sleep Difficulties
• Stress
• Trauma

• Body-focused Therapy
• Mindfulness
• Psychodynamic Psychotherapy

I am an attachment-oriented, mindfulness-based, psychodynamic psychotherapist. My work is client-centered and trauma informed. I also am committed to an anti-oppressive practice, and continue to learn and develop myself professionally.

Psychodynamic psychotherapy involves exploring and understanding how unconscious, past relational patterns may be having an impact on the present. This kind of therapy is longer-term, it is interactive, and emotionally focused. Addressing the root causes of suffering and distress, rather than just the symptoms, is core to the approach.

Each one of us developed in a specific environment with specific caregivers. Understanding how our nervous systems and attachment patterns were shaped in these contexts can empower us to make informed decisions about our wellbeing, and to improve our relationship to ourselves and others.

In my approach to this work, I draw heavily on mindfulness, self-compassion, and somatic work. Learning how to turn towards, to be safely with, and to regulate the emotions that arise in the body is at the heart of what I do. But there are many different tools I can use depending on what works best for you. We might talk about your experiences, explore your dreams, use creative activities, or even do some role-playing. Every session is unique and tailored to your individual needs.

I came to be interested in the mind and body through my studies in yoga. For me, working in the body was the gateway to deeper learning about myself. I am trained yoga teacher, yoga therapist, and meditator, and my work as a psychotherapist is greatly informed and supported by over 20 years of my own practice in these areas.

I also have an undergraduate degree in English literature, and a master’s degree in Library Science, both of which serve me in my role. I aim to make psychology terms, concepts and theories more accessible, as well as help you locate valuable information inside yourself. I’m also interested in individual stories and collective stories, and how they relate. I believe that having the power to make sense of, to deconstruct, and reconstruct our own stories opens up new possibilities – ones that we might not have dared dream of.

Please get in touch to schedule a 15 minute introductory call.

I am currently only offering appointments by Zoom or over the phone.