Meet Jennifer Putnam, AMFT, at Gold Counseling in St. George, UT

Jennifer had originally received her bachelors degree in Education, with a heavy emphasis in elementary and junior high educational studies.  She started working for Washington County School District and did several years of substitute teaching.  While working in the special education department, she got to work closely with the district LCSW, behaviorists and a team of very caring teachers to help build plans for students who needed extra support.  This helped inspire Jennifer to pursue a degree as a therapist.  She was able to see that so much of the student’s success in school was directly tied to their mental, emotional and even physical well-being.  She received her Master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy program at Northcentral University in 2021.
 
From there, she gained not just the educational training of attending the university, but she was also privileged to participate in trainings such as the Emotionally Focused Therapy Externship, and Trauma informed play therapy for adolescents.

Jennifer enjoys working with couples who have suffered with betrayal trauma, separation, and individuals navigating life after divorce.  She also has worked with clients suffering from pornography addiction who want to build trust within themselves and their partners.  Aside from her passion in couples work and healing betrayal trauma, she also has worked with complex custody cases and with diverse demographics, helping parents reunify with their children.  Jennifer also has worked with young adults and teens – and with her prior experience working for the school district, finds it easy to build rapport with clients from this demographic.

Jennifer has experience and training in Emotionally Focused Therapy which is widely used for couples therapy, but she also has used this for parents and kids to help heal attachment injuries and build trust in these relationships.  For individuals, Jennifer uses Narrative therapy, where she sees great results in fostering hope among her clients in allowing them to be the masters of rewriting their own story.  She also has training in Internal Family Systems (IFS) where she treats some of the most deeply held traumas within individual clients using parts work.

For me, I believe there is nothing more helpful than having someone instill hope where hope feels lost.  I see an amazing therapist who has helped change my perspective and gain the ability for me to have more hope even by the small and simple but very powerful advice.  I believe that having a great therapist has helped me to overcome by sense of grief from my own hardships of losing people close to me, along with understanding how to use calming techniques when I’m at home, away from therapy.  Along with that, I enjoy getting my energy out by going for walks, hikes, and working out with my son and frequently watch his basketball games.  Doing anything that is a physical challenge has always been a passion of mine as well.

I love spending time with my kids and my dogs, and also learning something new every day, even if it something small.

“I greatly believe that we are the masters of our own destiny.  I believe that every day we carve out more of what our personal mural will look like in the end.  I also strongly believe in the Japanese belief of Ikigai, or having a reason for being.  This is shown to not only help people to feel happier and more fulfilled, but there are findings in Japan and globally that those living longer, more fulfilled lives have strong Ikigai (reason for being/purpose).  I believe that therapy should be a healthy and healing avenue of opening doors of safety, hope, healing and nonjudgment.  I personally believe that making the therapist’s office the designated place where people can express themselves openly without bias is the key to finding healing in therapy.  I want to help my clients to not only heal emotionally and mentally, as I feel therapy isn’t just about healing and overcoming hardship, but also having hope for the future and refinding our purpose if that has been damaged by the tradgedies of life.  Allow me to help instill hope once more!”