My best days begin
with tending my garden,
Jenny Leverman (she/her)
hands in the soil, and end with a rowdy block party amongst my family, neighbors, and friends.
Connection is my lifeblood, and in my years as a grief counselor, I’ve learned that connection does not have to end with death. Rather, we have creative license to re-imagine how to continue the relationship, or not.
Often, grief reflects similar issues that existed in the relationship while the person was still alive. With strong relationships, furthering the connection might involve looking for signs of their continued love and bringing their voices into decision-making. If you're frankly relieved that they're gone, perhaps it's a hearty goodbye to the deceased, while forging a connection to someone or something else. This is intensely creative work: there is beauty and love in all of it.
Education & Experience
MA Liberal Arts & Sciences (2002) and MS Counseling (2019), San Diego State University
AAMFT Approved Supervisor
Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, received SEP certificate after 3 years of post graduate training
Taught CSP 670 Group Counseling class in MFT graduate program at San Diego State University
Lead community therapist at a nonprofit agency working with refugee and immigrant families for 5 years
Community educator/tutor at local reservation working with teens and their families over a 20-year span
Main modalities: Narrative Therapy and Somatic Experiencing, along with trainings in Internal Family Systems and the completion of grief certifications/trainings including David Kessler’s Grief Educator Program
Continuously engaged in hours of weekly consultations/continuing education with colleagues and mentors