Hi! I am a Licensed Professional Counselor residing in Colorado with 20 years of experience working in the US, UK, Germany, Italy, Netherlands and Japan. I obtained my Master’s in Counseling with High Honors from Regis University in Denver, Colorado and I have a private practice located near the beautiful Rocky Mountains of Colorado. My orientation is integrative, with a primary emphasis on Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) and Internal Family Systems (IFS)-informed therapy. I also incorporate somatic (body-centered) therapy principles, such as body movement, breathwork, mindfulness, EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) tapping, and polyvagal theory. My approach is client-centered, meaning that I believe every person has their own internal source of wisdom, healing, and strength to draw upon. From this perspective, the role of the therapist is to provide a safe space for you to grow in the way that feels right to you, rather than the therapist controlling your course of therapy, telling you how to feel, or telling you what to do. You are the captain of your own vessel flowing through your journey of life, and most importantly, you know yourself best! My goal is to support you as you grow. LGBTQIA+ Friendly. Cultural Diversity Welcome.
There is a connection between the mind, emotions, and body, so it is beneficial to involve the body in facilitating the healing process. Whether you are drawn to yoga and meditation, dance, walking, hiking, tennis, basketball, baseball, winter sports, baseball, winter sports, biking, etc, indoor workouts, or being in nature, we can develop some body-centered practices that are enjoyable and work for you. The sky is the limit and whatever your preference is, we can work it into your therapy.
IFS (Internal Family Sustems) therapy, founded by Richard Schwartz, is an evidence-based therapy exploding in popularity worldwide due to its effectiveness. The basic premise is that “All parts are welcome,” meaning that whatever you are feeling–whether it is anger, guilt, shame, joy, sadness or grief (to name a few)– is a valuable element of yourself with innate wisdom.
IFS believes that all humans have different aspects or “Parts” to themselves and that we have a core “Self” that could be seen as the soul essence, is indestructible, and is with an individual from birth and forms the foundation of their personality.
When the Self and Parts are functioning harmoniously, people are functioning at their best and embody qualities such as courage, compassion, creativity, and calmness. All of these Parts and Self function as a sort of internal family system. This is a complex inner world, and is considered normal and natural and healthy.
The challenge arises when life circumstances present situations that are traumatic, causing some of our internal parts to forego their healthy natural roles and become burdened with the stress of managing the trauma (either big trauma or many small traumas) and take on more extreme and often destructive roles.
An example would be an individual who is involved in an unhealthy relationship and develops a coping mechanism such as avoidance of intimacy or repeating unhealthy relationship patterns.
The goal in IFS therapy is to allow these different parts to come forward and express themselves honestly with the client’s Self and heal, with the therapist acting as guide and witness. This is a highly empowering process for the client.
(A good illustration of IFS basic principles is the PIXAR movie Inside Out, which I highly recommend watching.)
SFBT (Solution Focused Brief Therapy) is evidence-based and involves you looking at what outcome you would like to create in your life and from your experience in therapy. From your imagination, you explore and describe what it would feel like if you were to actualize your desired outcome. I will ask you questions such as “What is your best hope for our session today?” and “How will you know you have achieved your outcome?” and “If you could wave a magic wand, what would that look like?”
I look forward to working with you on your healing journey!
Additional areas of focus: Trauma and abuse, Grief, Attachment issues, Communication problems, Emptiness, Family of origin issues, Guilt and shame, Life purpose, Midlife crisis, Veteran and Armed Forces Issues, Multicultural concerns, Polyamory / non-monogamous relationships, Post-traumatic stress, Self-love
Clinical approaches: Client-Centered Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Existential Therapy, Jungian Therapy, Mindfulness Therapy, Narrative Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, Somatic Therapy, Internal Family Systems
CO LPC LPC.0004592
These quotes represent just a few of the many positive reviews that we have received for Jennifer Walter. We don't pay anyone to provide their review and they are all made voluntarily. Some people's experience receiving therapy with BetterHelp might be different.
Excellent therapist
Written on Jul 03, 2022 after therapy with Jennifer for 3 months on issues concerning stress, anxiety, addictions, relationship issues, intimacy-related issues, and anger management
Knowledgeable and agreeable
Written on Apr 23, 2022 after therapy with Jennifer for 1 month on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, lgbt, relationship issues, trauma and abuse, grief, sleeping disorders, career difficulties, coping with life changes, and adhd