Jennifer Kimlingen LCSW

I truly enjoy working with children and find they are capable of telling me what they need to feel well. I have extensive experience in supporting children after a death through play therapy, education and supportive counseling. I incorporate fun materials into my work with children and find that they are very receptive to activities such as memory making or acting things out. I have experience with children struggling with social anxiety, family addiction issues and adjustment disorders.

My primary experience is with grief and loss. I have been a hospice social worker for greater than 5 years and have been blessed to work with individuals and families experiencing end of life. I am very passionate about supporting healthy grieving processes and facilitate this in a variety of ways, as everyone's grief journey is different. There is NO right or wrong way to grieve and I offer a safe and compassionate space for everyone to develop the coping skills that work best for them.

This can be tough stuff! As a parent of two myself, I am always on the look out for tips, tricks and hacks to improve my own parenting skills and support healthy childhood development. I utilize a judgement free approach to parenting support, as what may work for one parent's household may not work for another and I often get very creative with problem solving parenting issues. Being a parent is a great blessing and also the MOST difficult job in the world.

I truly enjoy utilizing play therapy and working with children and adolescents. Even virtually, play therapy has tremendous benefits and the ability to help children feel safe and secure in exploring and processing big feelings. I have employed play therapy in a variety of previous settings including schools and in my work with bereaved children. I have a large toolbox to support the effectiveness of play therapy both in person and virtually.

The basis of my therapeutic approach is always person-centered. I believe that everyone deserves unconditional positive regard and find that it supports a workable relationship. This approach holds the importance of human relationships in high regard and helps to build trust between therapist and client, more importantly removing any implied power dynamic as I prefer to provide support as an equal human who has also experienced life's struggles.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is a therapy modality that is evidenced based and focuses on the impact our thoughts have on our emotions and how repeated unhelpful thoughts can create false core beliefs about ourselves and the world around us. CBT can be helpful as a modality when an individual is struggling with invasive or significantly long-term symptoms of grief that are impacting daily life or the ability to function. CBT is also effective for anxiety, depression and substance use disorders.