Jenny Findling, Ph.D., LCPC

Hello! My name is Jenny Findling and my passion is helping children and adults find joy in their lives. Sometimes it is necessary to sift through some painful emotions before finding the path to joy. But I believe it is possible. Others have done it, and so can you! Most people who seek counseling have a particular challenge that is an obstacle in their path to joy. Anxiety and depression can cloud your view, and make the path seem impossible to find. The foundation of my practice is person-centered therapy. This means that I offer unconditional positive regard with empathy and understanding for each person that I meet. Feeling deeply understood and accepted is healing in and of itself. Parents and caregivers have the profound responsibility of supporting children through challenges in life. They have emotions that run deep, and sometimes those emotions can hold them back in life. Children express their emotions through their behaviors, which can be challenging for adults to handle. When children are suffering from anxiety or depression, they usually “show” us their emotions because they can’t put them into words. Sometimes the emotions look like anger outbursts, aggression, or tears. I’m here to help you understand what’s happening in your child’s heart and mind, which is driving their behavior. When a child feels deeply understood and accepted for who they are, they will thrive. Play therapy is a mental health treatment approach for young children. I use a Child-Centered Play Therapy approach in my work with young children. I use a neurodiversity-affirming worldview in my work. What does this mean? In short, science tells us that there are different kinds of brains, and I believe every brain is a good brain! Some people are "neurodivergent" which means that their brain type (aka "neurotype") is different from what is seen in most people. I have extensive experience using child-centered play therapy with neurodivergent children. Autistic children experience the world differently, and are often more sensitive to light, sound, texture, or other aspects of their environment. Autistic children can find this sensitivity overwhelming, sometimes, which can create high anxiety for them. Autistic children also experience social relationships differently, and social relationships can be a source of confusion or anxiety for Autistic children when there are misunderstandings between themselves and others. I work to help Autistic children understand their own needs and advocate for themselves. I also work to help parents and caregivers understand the needs of Autistic children. Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder is another neurotype that I commonly see in my practice. People who have ADHD sometimes prefer to be called ADHDer's. I like this terminology; it affirms that ADHD is its own neurotype which comes with unique strengths and challenges. Most ADHDer's struggle with executive functioning skills (for example, organization and time management) and these difficulties can cause ADHDer's to experience anxiety and even depressive symptoms. They are often creative and highly energetic, too! I understand the needs of ADHDer's and seek to support them in their growth journey. Giftedness is another neurotype that I commonly see in my practice. Gifted children experience the world differently, in that they take in a lot of information about the world around them and process that information differently. Gifted children can experience high anxiety when they are misunderstood by others or when they experience perfectionism, which is linked to giftedness. Gifted children need enrichment activities that are often lacking, and I can help advocate for those services. I appreciate the needs of gifted children, and I work to help them grow and develop in meaningful ways. Improv Therapy for Anxiety is a group therapy series for adults that I offer a few times a year. The group is six weeks long, and we meet together and play simple, beginner-level games and do simple scene work. Group members focus on tapping into joy and creativity through engaging in playful interactions with one another, and they support each other with words of encouragement. These groups happen at the Flying Pig Improv school of performing arts, so that we can use their stage! We have so much fun together, please join us.