Jennifer Harris Associate Marriage and Family Therapist

Jennifer Harris, Associate Marriage and Family Therapist, AMFT121484/APCC8510 is practicing under the supervision of Ellen Bersch (California, LMFT, LMFT29450) at Ellen Bersch LMFT.

Please, note: A clinician listed as being “clinically supervised” is completing clinical hours toward their licensure. They have one or more fully licensed clinical supervisors that often have special training to become supervisors. They consult with their supervisor(s) on all of their cases, which means that, when working with them, you are getting the time and expertise of multiple therapists in your treatment.

I entered college at 18 years old with the intention of becoming a clinical psychologist. After a year in school, I decided college was not for me and I entered the workforce at a local company working in medical coding, billing, and collections. I continued that work for 15 years until I moved into corporate finance. When I had the opportunity to remain home with my children, I took advantage of helping my sons with their school work full-time which inspired me to return to college at 42 years old to pursue a degree in psychology. My personal experience with therapy extends decades. At the age of 38, I found myself in a place that was unfamiliar and I sought out intense treatment from a therapist who was the light at the end of a dark tunnel. She was the first person in my life who validated me and my experiences in childhood that I had minimized in adulthood. When my therapist retired, her advice to me was "pay it forward" and that is what I do everyday in sessions with my clients. My life experiences and healing journey prepared me for the rewarding work I do now.

I utilize a variety of treatment methods, but the one that is most impactful for my clients is inner child work. The adult survivor of child abuse or childhood trauma does not always acknowledge how much they were impacted by their caregivers. Recognizing there is a child within us that needs to be seen, heard, validated, loved, and accepted is vital. I help my clients connect with their inner child and teach them to parent themselves the way they should have been parented in childhood. So much of who we are in adulthood is shaped by our childhood experiences. It can be difficult for childhood trauma survivors to set and hold boundaries. I help my clients learn to establish boundaries while loving themselves and others in their lives. When working with couples, I employ Gottman techniques to increase connection and active listening. I also utilize Emotionally Focused Therapy to strengthen attachment and relationship satisfaction. Communication in interpersonal relationships can break down over time as couples identify their needs are not being met by their partners. Clients can struggle to communicate in a healthy manner because they fear rejection or ridicule. Parental modeling is one key to how couples interact with one another. I help couples identify relationship modeling from caregivers and childhood experiences in the family of origin.

Good Will Hunting influenced my approach to therapy. Robin Williams' character, Sean, made a connection with his client, Will, that no other therapist was able to accomplish. That movie demonstrated the importance of building the therapeutic alliance with clients. I establish strong connections with my clients through compassion, empathy, engagement, validation, active listening, and interest in who they are and all they have experienced.

I worked at San Fernando Valley Counseling Center for three years before moving into private practice. I worked with individuals, couples, and families in person and online throughout my tenure there. I specialized in couples counseling, individuals with anxiety, depression, PTSD, and survivors of child abuse.