Jennifer Henderson, DBH, LPC
Jennifer has been working within Specialty Mental Health for 15+ years and with children and families for 20+. She has a strong reliance on experiential, evidence-based interventions that meet patients and families where they are developmentally. Jennifer works from a psychobiological and neurodevelopmental lens in creating ways to help families work toward secure functioning and attachment. She has additional training with care integration of physical health concerns (Picky eating, obesity, diabetes, sleep difficulties), forensic populations (Re-entry and Institutional Trauma), and navigating system involvement (Child Welfare, Education, and Juvenile Justice).
Over the past 8 years, Jennifer has transitioned into working with couples and adults, applying developmental and attachment understanding to barriers in healthy relationships. She offers clinical supervision and is a managing partner of Family Behavioral Health Network, a mental health collaborative practice.
Learning
Early in my career, I focused on helping kids develop skills for navigating challenges. It became evident that the influence of the adults in their lives played a significant role in their development. Despite not always verbalizing their emotions during therapy sessions, children often revealed glimpses of their feelings through play activities. I observed that adults, particularly in everyday scenarios like bedtime routines, were instrumental in aiding children in managing their emotions. Although adults may experience apprehension in being the agent of change for the child during therapy, their unwavering support and involvement were vital components in the healing process.
Lessons Along the Way.
As I delved deeper into therapeutic models, I discovered approaches centered on skill-building for parents, which yielded remarkable transformations when implemented. However, my journey also exposed me to the profound impact of parent-child separation on attachment, whether due to interventions by child protective services or contentious divorces. I observed that the narratives justifying a lack of parental involvement were often flawed and could be addressed through targeted skill-building interventions.
Grow it.
As my understanding deepened, I recognized the critical importance of addressing the emotional wounds and attachment challenges experienced by caregivers, particularly parents, in order for them to effectively serve as agents of change for their children. Consequently, I delved into the study of couples therapy models and interventions tailored for high-conflict divorces, seeing them as potential avenues for fostering positive transformation.
