Jenna Phillips, LCPC, is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor offering mental health services in person and via telehealth. Jenna is experienced in providing a variety of modalities for adults with life and/or emotional concerns. 

 

Am I the right therapist for you?

I specialize in trauma informed care for adults 18 years of age and older.

I am trained in the following modalities: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Developmental Needs Meeting Strategy (DNMS), Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing (EMDR) level 1 & 2, Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), Somatic Experience, Interpersonal Violence & Advocacy, and Introduction to psychopharmacology. I am passionate about utilizing ego states and parts work in my therapy modalities.

 

What is Trauma?

I often hear people question whether they have experienced trauma. What is trauma? What does it look like? Are there certain reasons why some people are impacted versus others? 

It is important to know that trauma is a survival reaction that occurs within the bodies nervous system and the brains amygdala. Simply said, when a person experiences trauma, the exposure is too overwhelming for the body and brain to make sense of the stimuli. A person does not logically decide to have a reaction to trauma. No two people have the same experience or reaction. 

A reaction to trauma can happen throughout a person’s lifespan. Trauma that occurs during childhood can potentially impact development, thus creating challenges as you enter adulthood. Because trauma has the potential to impact development from being in utero until about 30 years old, it is important to take your history into consideration when understanding current symptoms.

I often explain to my patients that there are two different classes of traumas; safety and attachment wounding. A safety trauma can be considered a car accident, a natural disaster, war, 9/11, a sports injury, and all forms of abuse, to name a few. An attachment wounding trauma is one that is not considered as often. I describe attachment wounding traumas to patients as the things we needed in childhood but didn’t get. Examples of this is love, support, validation, acceptance of self, attunement, nurture, and emotional support, to name a few. 

Every patient’s story is uniquely theirs. Of course, our past is going to indicate parts of our current and our future. We will collaborate to create a treatment plan specific to your needs and goals. I provide psychoeducation on the impact trauma can have on the body and brain. I will also provide you with information regarding different therapies for healing, so you can make an informed decision that feels right for you.