I believe that you have the power and resiliency to facilitate the desired changes you wish to make in your life. Change is a constant, and it can be difficult at times to navigate transitions or changes that we experience in ourselves and our relationships. My mission as your therapist is to provide a space for you and your relationships to explore ways that you can enhance your connection to your authentic self, and to enhance your feelings of connectedness to others in your life. Connection can look like increasing feelings of comfort, intimacy, emotional, physical, spiritual, and more. As human beings, I believe that we thrive when we have a sense of belonging and connectedness to others who can help us in navigating the challenges that life throws at us.
While we can experience ruptures in attachment through difficult relationships, I believe whole-heartedly that we can heal from previous attachment wounds, and we can learn to grow and foster healthy relationships. As your therapist, I want to invite you to explore how your previous experiences and systems you have interacted with impact you and your relationships. My goal is to create a space where you can build confidence and work toward building a narrative that honors and validates your experiences and authentic self.
Jena specializes in…
- Licensure
- MS, Marriage and Family Therapist Associate
- Clinical Supervisor: Lauren Goldstein, MSW, LCSW, AASECT Certified Sex Therapist and Jessica Broderick, MA, MFT
- Degrees
- Bachelor of Science in Psychology – University of Oregon
- Master of Science, Couples and Family Therapy – University of Oregon
My Journey
Growing up, I gravitated toward using the power of communication as a tool to help connect with others and resolve conflict when needed. Through my therapeutic journey and exploring my identity as a transracial and transnational Chinese adoptee, I found that working with emotionally-focused therapy through an attachment-based lens resonated the most with me. I am inspired by our ability as humans to continue working toward forming healthy attachments in relationships, even if we have experienced an attachment rupture in the past.
When I think about my personal experience with sex and intimacy, I consider the impact that Kink/BDSM and chronic illness has had on the formation of my sexual identity, sexuality, and the ways that I engage in intimacy. Kink/BDSM have always been present in my mind, from a young age, even when I did not know how to name or define it. Through my research, I found that there could be many reasons for enjoying engaging in the kink community and activities. Most importantly, I learned that there was nothing wrong with me and it was healthy to explore my interests, my sexuality and its meaningfulness to me. While Kink/BDSM have become slightly more mainstream, I am passionate about continuing to de-stigmatize the exploration of Kink/BDSM and providing education and resources on how to engage in Kink/BDSM practices safely.
As someone who has experienced a chronic illness that impacted my ability to engage in sex and intimacy with my partner, I am also passionate about helping people explore ways to navigate the emotional impact that illness can have on self-esteem and anxiety around intimacy. I found that working with my therapist for additional support around my experiences helped me to take control of my narrative and feel empowered to explore intimacy with myself and other ways to feel intimate and connected with my partner. I also found that having therapeutic support allowed me to explore additional resources such as pelvic floor therapy that could help me heal from the medical trauma and sexual trauma resulting from the illness. I am a strong believer in advocating for clients to explore all resources that can help them move closer toward their goals.
When I’m not working as a therapist, I am most likely finding some way to enjoy movement through dance. I have become enamored with aerial arts and pursuing a hobby where there is no personal gain, other than engaging in something that brings me joy. If I am not trying to fly on an aerial apparatus, I am spending time with my two cats or exploring new cafes in the area.
