Jenna Richardson

Qualifications & Experience

I have a Bachelor of Science in Psychology (Honor’s degree) and a Master’s degree in Social Work, both from the University of Southern Indiana.

My Call to Christian Counseling

I decided to become a counselor after my own traumatic experience of being sick and partially disabled during my early teen years. I was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disorder at the age of 12 and underwent treatment for four years to regain my physical strength. During this time, I was well taken care of physically, but my emotional care was not acknowledged as much. I did not seek help until I was 19 years old. Going to therapy that first time was life-changing for me and led me to want to pursue being a therapist myself after the validating experience I had with my first therapist.

More About Me/On a Personal Note

I love being outside, including gardening and growing my own food. I have fond memories of working in my childhood garden alongside my father. Every spring we would plant seeds. All of a sudden, the fields would turn green as seedlings pushed through the soil. This became a picture of how I see God working in my life and in others. We work to sow goodness and enjoy the fruits of love but sometimes pain is planted and the fruit becomes our work. I consider myself to be musically inclined, and though it’s been a while, I enjoy the French horn. Lastly, I am a cat lover and have my own little fur baby named Delilah.

Areas of Expertise/Specialties

• Abandonment and Neglect
• Anxiety
• Codependency
• Counseling for Teens
• Depression
• Eating Disorders
• Individual Counseling
• OCD
• Online Counseling
• Personal Development
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
• Relationship Issues
• Trauma
• Women’s Issues

Eating Disorders

I have been fortunate to work with those who struggle with eating disorders, listening to their challenges and helping them understand their worth beyond body image, as it relates to what the Bible says. Eating disorders can be one of the hardest mental health conditions to treat, and having worked with many clients struggling with Anorexia, Bulimia, Binge Eating Disorder, and Disordered Eating, along with leading a support lunch group for those struggling to eat alone, I understand these struggles and want to work alongside my clients to help them find worth in themselves and from God that does not come from their outward appearance.

Codependency

Many often find themselves stuck in relationships they feel they cannot truly be free from or feel they need to constantly people-please or give in to their boundaries to avoid judgment and keep the peace in relationships. It is exhausting for the individual to please others constantly, but it can also result in tumultuous relationships and resentment building up. Having worked with many individuals stuck in this cycle of codependency, I want to help my clients learn to respect their wishes and boundaries and communicate assertively, increasing their self-esteem and improving the quality of their relationships.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

OCD can be a tricky mental health disorder that leaves those suffering from it in a constant state of anxiety. OCD is not just someone who lacks self-control, it truly is a problem stemming from brain chemistry. If you have tried to will the OCD compulsions and thoughts away and it hasn’t worked, this is why. The combination of seeing a medication provider for OCD and getting skills to help disengage from the thoughts and compulsions is one of the most effective treatments for this disorder. I have worked with many forms of OCD (such as scrupulosity, fear of contamination, and more) and use a method called the 4 R’s from the book Brain Lock to help the individual, in combination with the care of a psychiatrist/doctor, to help free the client from the repetitive and often debilitating cycle of OCD thoughts and compulsions.

Trauma

Almost everyone will experience trauma in some way, shape, or form. When it comes to trauma, it’s a matter of when rather than if. With that, many of us do not understand the trauma we have experienced or even think to explore it. Trauma is not a one-size-fits-all type of diagnosis and can come from sources of childhood abuse/neglect, toxic relationships, insecure attachments, or medical events, just to name a few. I encourage all my clients in sessions with me to take inventory of their early memories and experiences to address any unrealized trauma and begin the process of healing from it using methods from CBT, DBT, and IFS.

Anxiety

Hardly anyone can say they haven’t experienced anxiety. Living in an age when technology keeps us up and expectations are higher than ever, life for some always feels like an uphill battle and anxiety is our mind’s first pick as fuel to get us up that mountain. While anxiety can be helpful in small doses, our brains often take it to the extreme, which can lead us to be self-critical and hypervigilant of our environment. If this sounds like you, most likely your anxiety has overstepped its healthy boundary. Thankfully, many forms of therapeutic treatment can help with anxiety, including the modalities of CBT, DBT, and Motivational Interviewing. As a fellow recovering anxiety sufferer myself, I have witnessed firsthand how going to therapy can greatly impact the amount of stress and anxiety we feel.

Sessions: I offer 53-minute sessions. Sessions can be held more than once per week, weekly, or every other week. Scheduling options are discussed in greater detail during your Risk-Free Initial Session.

Availability (by office location):

• Edmonds – Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday
• Online (WA only) – Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday

Fees: I offer a Risk-Free Initial Session for individuals looking to pursue counseling with me. Please note that there is a fee for the Risk-Free Initial Session as it is a clinical hour and reimbursable to most insurance companies, but if you choose not to reschedule and continue therapy after the initial session the entire fee for the session will be waived. For ongoing treatment the full fee per session is required at the time of service.

Insurance: As a Licensed Social Worker Associate Independent Clinical (LSWAIC), some insurance companies will reimburse for a portion of my services (as an Out of Network Provider).

Receipts/Statements: In the event you require a printed or digital receipt, I will provide receipts for personal use, insurance reimbursement, Flex Spending Accounts (FSA), and Health Savings Accounts (HSA).

Payment options: Cash, Check, or Credit Card (Visa, MasterCard, Discover, & American Express). A fee of up to 4% per transaction may be added for credit card payments.