Who do I treat?

In the past, I have worked with men and women who have attained a stable recovery and are looking for a therapeutic approach for issues underneath their addiction and/ or eating disordered behaviors, those who suffer from anxiety, depression, codependency, post-traumatic stress, spirituality, parents with addicted children, healing childhood/ family of origin challenges, those suffering from child abuse/ neglect, adoptees, fertility struggles, therapists who are stressed due to secondary trauma and women transitioning through life and grief. I can be a primary therapist as well as an adjunct, in regards to Somatic Experiencing and nutritional mental health. Clients who are currently suicidal would not be a good fit.

What is nutritional mental health?

Its using food, lifestyle and self-care as a way to create better moods and energy levels. The sessions are designed to support you in reducing brain inflammation in order to create more dopamine and serotonin in the body, or otherwise known as our “feel good” chemicals.

What is the significance of the quote on your home page?

It is the philosophy of how I see therapy that leads to transformation in body, mind and spirit. We need to let go of the old, think newer, healthier thoughts and subsequently, build a newer, better life for ourselves and community. Ultimately, it leads to more peace inside the self and a feeling of freedom. Somatic Experiencing as well as other methods I practice help clients to achieve this mission.

What is Somatic Experiencing (SE)?

The Somatic Experiencing method is a naturalistic and neurobiological body-oriented approach to healing trauma and other stress disorders. The SE approach releases traumatic shock and restores connection, which is key to transforming PTSD and the wounds of emotional and early developmental attachment trauma. It offers a framework to assess where a person is stuck in flight,  fight, or freeze responses. It also provides clinical tools to resolve these fixated physiological states to restore the authentic self with self-regulation, relaxation, wholeness, and aliveness.

Human beings have an innate ability to overcome the effects of diverse traumas. The SE approach facilitates the completion of self-protective moderate responses and the release of thwarted survival energy bound in the body and the nervous system, thus addressing the root cause of trauma symptoms. This is approached by gently guiding clients to develop increasing tolerance for difficult bodily sensations and suppressed emotions, building their capacity for containment and resilience.

Dr.  Levine believes that the traumatic event isn't what causes long-lasting trauma, it is the overwhelming trapped response to the perceived life threat that is causing an imbalanced nervous system. SE aims to help one access the body memory ( procedural memory) of the event, not the story. It is not necessary to share the details of your trauma history to do SE. The objective is to diffuse the power of the narrative and remap the body's memory to regain aliveness and flow. In “ In an Unspoken Voice, “ Peter wrote that trauma is not just what happens to us but what we hold inside– the absence of a present and empathetic other.

Like other somatic psychology approaches, somatic experiencing is a body-first approach to dealing with the problematic and often-times physical symptoms of trauma. It helps individuals create new experiences in their bodies; ones that contradict those of tension and overwhelming helplessness. This means that healing isn't about reclaiming memories or changing our thoughts and beliefs about how we feel, it's about exploring the sensations that lie underneath our feelings and beliefs, as well as our habitual behavior patterns.

From Dr.Peter Levine’s, “An Autobiography of Trauma: A Healing Journey.”

It is different than EMDR because it can work with feelings and sensations, rather than a specific memory. 

For more information, please see Somatic Experiencing

Do you accept private health insurance?

I can give you a receipt for possible reimbursement, depending on your out-of-network coverage. I have accepted private plans in the past and will no longer be doing so come January 2025.

How do I know we are a good fit?

I offer 15 minute scheduled "get to know you sessions" when a potential client is looking for a practitioner.  I do recommend you read through the site first in case you have questions.   Please email me at jendgoggin@gmail.com for a scheduling.

What form of payments are accepted?

Currently, the forms of payment accepted are Zelle and private Venmo.

How is Jen practicing?

Jen is conducting sessions online as as well as in person. She is finding somatic work just as successful on a virtual platform.