Jennifer Ford, MS, LCMHC

It takes courage to seek help and support, and I’m so glad you’re here. Life can be unpredictable, overwhelming, and challenging at times. The changes and transitions we experience in life may be met with obstacles and barriers that may lead to feeling lost or unsure how to manage these new experiences. The good news is that there is help, and you are not alone.

I am a wife, mom, and a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor who is focused on helping clients navigate life’s obstacles, while building the tools necessary to make lasting changes and improve quality of life. My goal is to support and empower my clients by working collaboratively on the path to healing and wellness. I have 10 years of clinical experience working with clients across the lifespan. After receiving specialized training, I focus on caring for adolescent girls and women experiencing postpartum depression and anxiety, teen pregnancy, adoption, birth trauma, pregnancy loss, challenges with body image and low self-esteem, navigating the transition to motherhood, and family conflict. My passion for working with mothers developed after my own lived experience and as a survivor of birth trauma and postpartum depression and anxiety. Even as a clinician with experience and medical knowledge, I found myself struggling to access care and manage a completely unpredictable journey. I understand the importance of support during pregnancy and the postpartum period, and I work to provide that support to others.

My approach is eclectic and includes modalities from Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Trauma Focused therapy, Mindfulness, and Person-Centered Therapy. I’m also happy to provide Christian counseling and faith-based therapy to individuals seeking to incorporate these values. I work to create a safe, warm, empathetic, and non-judgmental space where all of your emotions are welcome. They are not too much for me, and you don’t have to walk this journey alone. Wherever you are on your perinatal or reproductive journey, trying to conceive, grieving the loss of a baby, navigating motherhood, first time mom, veteran mom of 4, I’ll be there to hold space for your needs. Or perhaps, you are a teen girl or woman just experiencing the stress of life, trying to process traumatic experiences, struggling to adapt to changes and transitions, or just not feeling yourself lately. The therapy space is there for you also. In the words of Glennon Doyle, “Be messy and complicated and afraid and show up anyway”. If you’re ready to take the next step, I’m ready to meet you right where you are on your care journey.

Experience:

• M.S. in Mental Health Counseling from Walden University
• B.A. in Psychology and minor in Sociology from Winthrop University
• Clinical internship at Florence Crittenton Services, a nonprofit residential program for pregnant, homeless teens and adult women
• Program Development at Levine Children’s Hospital medical and psychiatric observation unit
• Mental Health Educator providing presentations on Trauma-Informed Care and Secondary Traumatic Stress for providers
• Perinatal Mental Health 2-Day Certificate and Advanced Psychotherapy Training through Postpartum Support International (fully trained)
• Fully trained in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)

Areas of Expertise

• Perinatal mental health (postpartum mood and anxiety disorders)
• Women’s issues
• Christian Counseling
• Multicultural challenges and BIPOC (Black, indigenous, and people of color) community
• Adolescent, adult, and family therapy
• Trauma (including birth trauma, generational/family trauma, and processing childhood trauma)
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Life changes and transitions
• Self-esteem and body image