Why I Love Being a Therapist: Get to Know Jennifer Anderson
Hello! My name is Jennifer Anderson. I’m a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Associate from Seabrook. The reason I felt led to become a therapist is because I understand how challenging navigating life can be. We are meant to grow from every life transition, but sometimes we get stuck. During these difficult transitions, our friends and family may offer advice that doesn’t seem to align with who you really are or seem productive. Relationship in trouble? “Maybe if you play hard to get, he will come back”. You have anxiety?, “everyone has anxiety, you will be fine”. Depressed? “You have so much to be thankful for, focus on that”. They mean well, but you know deep down their advice is limiting your growth.
Friends and family most likely have the best intentions, but you always wonder if they are just telling you what you want to hear? That may feel good at the moment, but frustration may take over when progress is not made. As a therapist, I push my clients to find new perspectives and challenge beliefs that are hindering their way of life. I want to increase my clients’ confidence in navigating stressful times and all the curveballs life throws at us.
Whether it be from grieving a divorce that you did not want or feeling stuck in your emotions, I enjoy helping clients feel more productive in working through situations. It is exciting to see a shift in my clients from feeling lost, to feeling empowered to be more decisive in their life decisions. When we can be more decisive in our life decisions, it creates a more secure environment for individuals and couples to reach their needs.
My passion includes helping couples engage in more meaningful ways that are more conducive to a prosperous relationship. I have seen couples that are truly in love, but lose respect for each other over communication. This loss of respect turns to disconnection. I enjoy pushing both partners gently, with a touch of humor and honesty, to find clarity in their relationship. It's about understanding each partner's perspective that may have been overlooked. I love when I see couples have that moment in my sessions where they are enlightened by their new understanding of their partner's point of view, so exciting!
One of my favorite things to do as a therapist is to create a safe space for my client's to explore their true feelings and point out inconsistencies in what they are saying versus the way they are living. They say they are currently trying to work on their relationship, but they are actually just avoiding conflict or walking on eggshells around each other. Unfortunately, this has caused resentment to build and assumptions to be made. These couples have unknowingly created habits in their communication style that are quite frankly, limiting and counterproductive.
Both partners so desperately want to be heard and feel validated that they start talking over each other and yelling to get their point of view out there. Make intentional changes by creating boundaries and putting ground rules in place and guess what? This magical thing happens! Empathy and forgiveness starts to enter the room and it’s absolutely beautiful. I feel honored to be a part of these times with my clients, helping them to discern thoughts and feelings in a constructive manner that honors the growth of the relationship. Why do I love being a therapist? It’s the transformation that happens when you come and sit with me.