Considering psychotherapy for yourself or your child?
Are you grieving over a recent loss?...Experienced a traumatic event that has left you feeling vulnerable or scared?...Feeling stressed or overwhelmed with work and responsibilities?...Experiencing difficulty in your relationships?...Going through a major life transition?...Wanting guidance with an important decision?...Feeling lost, confused, and needing clarity?...Is a child or adolescent under your care struggling with school, peers, family, or other relationships?
Any of the above are typical reasons that might cause someone to seek out a therapist.
Other reasons might include the following:
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Stuck in a creative rut and needing inspiration
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Seeking to live a more conscious and authentic life
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Curious about recurrent dreams, fantasies, and synchronicities
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Wanting to develop your intuition
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Shadow work and exploring the unconscious
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Wanting to reconnect with your cultural roots and unpack what that means in the current socio-political climate
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Burn out from activism
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Existing as a BIPOC, immigrant, queer, trans, non-binary, gender fluid, in a larger body, or as a person with a disability
About Me
Hello, and welcome. My name is Jacquelynn Montgomery, my pronouns are she/her/ella and I am a cisgender woman who identifies as Mexican/Chicana/Mestiza/Latina. I have been licensed as a marriage and family therapist since 2014. I have been studying psychology since 2000 and began working in the field of mental health in 2006. I have gained a wide range of experience, education, and training to become a well rounded therapist with a holistic approach to health and wellness. I have a special interest in therapeutic approaches rooted in depth psychology, Jungian psychology, liberation psychology, and cultural healing methods. Over the past few years I have become more focused on trauma-informed therapy and research after noticing the trends in developmental and complex trauma in many of my clients. While I am comfortable working with most age groups, adolescents and transitional age youth (18-25) have a special place in my heart. This is the time of major transition from childhood to adulthood, an initiation, a metamorphosis even.
Approach to Psychotherapy
There are many different approaches to psychotherapy. I have a preference for using what is considered a "depth psychological" approach. This includes many different theories and methods in where the common thread is the belief in the unconscious and its effect on our daily lives, how we interact with those closest to us, including our relationship with our Self. The general idea of this style of psychotherapy is to continue to uncover unconscious drives that may be wreaking havoc in certain areas of our lives. We do this so that we can make more conscious decisions. Understanding where certain impulses and patterns of behavior come from can allow us freedom from them, and we can even learn to work with them in more constructive ways. We can then integrate them, ideally using their energy to our advantage. Some of the ways in which we can access the unconscious is through dreams, guided imagery and meditation, noticing synchronicities, story telling, sandtray, play therapy, and using art in therapy. These are all activities that allow us to project and process whatever inner conflict may be plaguing us.
Another important perspective that I use in my work is what has been termed "liberation psychology". This theory takes into account all of the oppressive systems that one may navigate through on a daily basis. Examples include issues related to socioeconomic class, race, culture, ethnicity, religious beliefs, sexual preferences, and gender identity.
I prefer that your work with me will be a collaborative experience. While some topics and methods may be suggested or encouraged, ultimately, it is you who decides on "how" and "what" you would like to work on during our time together. My aim is to be present to serve as a guide and provide a safe space. Together we can discuss your own preferences regarding the content and pace of your sessions as it changes.
Keep in mind, while story telling, sandtray, and sometimes even art are seen by some as methods to be used only with children, they can access a part of the modern American's adult brain that often becomes atrophied with the seriousness of adulthood. You may be surprised when these activities allow you to access the wisdom hidden within your Self.
Work Experience
I began my training as a therapist at an inpatient psychiatric hospital for adults, then went on to work under a grant funded program, "The Mayors Gang Prevention Initiative," conducting assessments and providing referrals for preventative and rehabilitative services to children and adults ranging 4-60 years old. I have provided an array of mental health services including crisis support, individual therapy, group therapy, and family therapy while working for Tulare, Fresno, and Stanislaus county mental health.
Education
Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from California State University, Fresno
Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology from National University
PhD Candidate (ABD: all but dissertation completed) at Pacifica Graduate Institute
Research topic is about intergenerational trauma and how it relates to culture, colonialism, and the collective unconscious, a Jungian and post-Jungian perspective.