I'm Jackie and I'm listening.

I have worked in the mental health field since 2010, where I began volunteering as a victim advocate at a Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault crisis line, and then volunteered at an in-patient rehabilitation facility for teenagers. I then went on to work at The Gottman Institute, www.gottman.com, one of the world’s leading research institutes for couples and relationships, where I was exposed to their revolutionary research on love and relationships. At The Gottman Institute, I began my career of mental health writing, where I had the joy and honor of writing for their newsletters and blogs. I was then hired on as the Assistant Director of Couples Services, and had the honor of working directly with world renowned therapists Drs. John and Julie Gottman, and the couples who attended the institute's world renowned couples workshops, for 5 years. 

I have degrees in both psychology and sociology (I couldn’t pick between the two, so I did both!) from Western Washington University in Washington State where I am from. I then went on to get my Masters of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy from San Diego State University.

I worked at Estes Therapy with Jennine Estes for 6 years as a therapist, where I then became the Director of Growth and Operations of the company before starting my own private practice in 2023. My therapy practice, Therapy by Jackie, sees clients across the state of California, has a focus on codependency, trauma, anxiety, OCD, couples, relationships, and attachment. Overall, my passion is helping people find deep joy in themselves and in their relationships using my training in research-based theories such as Emotionally Focused Therapy, Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy, Inference-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Exposure and Response Prevention, and Gottman Method Couples Therapy.

Although I have been a writer all my life (I was the kid staying up late with a flashlight in my bedsheets, writing away in my diary), I began mental health writing in 2012 for The Gottman Institute’s newsletters. My first book, Help for High Conflict Couples, www.highconflictcouples.com, was published in January 2024 along with my colleague and co-author, Jennine Estes of www.estestherapy.com. I hold a deep passion for science, neuroscience and research-based strategies for health and wellness that I excitedly share with others through my writing. Help for High Conflict Couples is a result of combining my lifelong passion for writing with my expertise in Emotionally Focused Therapy and helping couples build and repair lasting connections. 

Oh, a few last-minute (but important) details: Originally from Seattle, I have a deep passion for lattes and all things coffee. Although I was originally a ‘city mouse’, I moved out to the country 3 years ago and I love it. Movement is medicine, and for me, I enjoy the challenge, focus, and play that comes from yoga, pilates, and CrossFit. As a very social person, I find deep joy in my life through my connections to others. I am a mom to a toddler (yes, my house is a mess), wife, and dog mom (Lucy, my cockapoo, will likely come to our sessions).