If you haven’t already assumed by now, my name is Jenny Boss and I am a licensed pastoral counselor. I have been trying to figure out ways to connect with those thirsty for growth and healing in a practical and tangible way… hence the birth of this newsletter. I want this newsletter to be a place for resources, inspiration, encouragement, and also a space for those who have a voice, to be heard. (So on that note, if you’ve got something to say and think people need to hear it, please feel free to reach out to me. Starting next month, most of my articles will feature counseling interns and students interested in sharing what’s stirring up within them!)

From a young age, I experienced a substantial amount of trauma. The cards were definitely not in my favor with the things placed upon me. And honestly, even when I write about it now, I think about how much that freaking sucks! But this is my reality and something that I’ve had to, sometimes begrudgingly, walk-through. One thread (that I actually realized was a thread in my own therapy session today!) is from a young age I’ve always had this beautiful curiosity and admiration for deep, hard work with regards to mental health. My evidence for this is myself sitting in the coffee shop at Borders bookstore by South Hills Village Mall in Pittsburgh, PA at the ripe age of 15 reading self-help books trying to figure out what the heck was wrong with me.

I jumped back-and-forth through some different toxic situations and stepped right into trauma, as well as creating my own, before I got my little butt into therapy. Once I did, it was game on! I actually spent about three consecutive years in therapy before I actually began to do my hard work. My therapist is not only amazing, but a saint for her patience! Growth didn’t come fast for me, but it came! And just a quick reminder for those of you that have been in therapy for a while or feel like things haven’t changed for you, sometimes slow healing and resistance is part of your journey. I know that makes it feel harder, but don’t give up on the work!

I don’t believe a therapist has to be through everything that their clients have been through in order to be effective, but I do know that because I’ve lived a lot of what I’ve lived, I truly believe healing is possible because I’ve seen it happen for me. Because of that, I am able to have the patience and compassion for people finding their own pace. I am definitely not perfect, but I think our perfect humanness is what makes this work so holy.

My approach for therapy is very humanistic and client centered. I don’t like to rush healing, I like to hold space for it. I love reframing situations and our thought processes as a divine enactment of how God has created us. I guess what I’m trying to say is there’s nothing more beautiful than watching someone’s face when they realize that they are in fact, not crazy, and they are walking through the sacred process of sanctification; refining by fire.

I love working with clients struggling with all types of issues from OCD and borderline personality disorder to someone just trying to figure out how to operate better in life… but one of my favorite things to do is help people work through spiritual issues and/or spiritual trauma. I love to think outside the box and challenge the norms of not only society, but what Christian religion/ritual has taught us to believe. I love helping people gently deconstruct, make meaning, and integrate… not just cope! Spiritual harm, confusion, and disconnection are so common nowadays, but I believe wholeheartedly that our faith can be a source of deep healing. While knowing this, I can also make room for understanding it has also been a source of  deep hurt… I am here to help work through both!

Sometimes it’s just really hard to be a human. So I know if you’re reading this, there’s a good chance some of you are hurting, stuck, or even unsure of where to begin… there’s no shame in that! Healing doesn’t have to be fast, and you don’t have to do it alone. Whether you’re ready to reach out or simply needed to read this today, I’m honored you’re here. You are not too far gone, too much, or too late. There’s still space for your story. I’m holding hope for you, even if you can’t just yet.