CURRICULUM VITAE
EDUCATION
Post-Graduate Training
Certification in Psychedelic Assisted Therapies
Center for the Advanced Studies in Trauma and Dissociation
Complexities of Complex Trauma Advanced CertificationDharma Moon & Tibet House
Mindfulness Meditation Teacher CertificationCenter for Psychoanalytic Studies
4-year Program for Studies in Psychoanalytic ThinkingCertification in Mentalization-Based therapy
Certification - Daring Way facilitator in shame resilience
Menninger Clinic – Fellowship Program
Menninger Clinic – Practicum Placement
College
University of Houston
Masters in Clinical Social WorkUniversity of Houston
Bachelor of Science: Psychology & Philosophy
RELEVANT EXPERIENCE
Dawn House - Founder & Owner
www.DawnHouse.org
Opening Jan 2024
Dawn House is a therapeutic arts center set to open doors January 2024. The center will offer talk therapy as well as numerous modalities in experiential therapies including art, music, movement, mediation, yoga, etc. The center will offer classes and groups as well host retreats. It will also house a bookstore and retail curated to provide resources for those exploring their own personal growth.
Psychotherapist in Private Practice
www.InsightTherapy.org
Oct 2015 - Present
· Currently specialize in providing individual and group therapy to individuals who are struggling with family of origin issues, attachment trauma, PTSD, phase of life problems, personality disorders, and relational struggles.
Menninger Clinic – Faculty Clinical Social Worker
Aug 2015 – 2019
Provided individual therapy to inpatient clients
Provided family therapy to patient families
Conducted Psychosocial Assessments
Clinical rounds with interdisciplinary team
Provided crisis intervention for patients who pose a safety risk or who are suicidal
Provided case formulation data during diagnostic conferences
Provided discharge planning for continuation of care for patients leaving treatment
Managed clinical/therapy notes weekly for all patients seen
Authored and facilitated curriculum for “Concepts of Self Group” for Hope Unit
Facilitated “Daring Way” group on Hope Unit
Presenter at Family Education Day Conference at the Menninger campus
Presenter in Saturday lecture series
Jennifer Gardner & Associates - Owner
2007 – 2014
Mental wellness provider and staff trainer for Neighborhood Centers Inc./Head Start: consulting, training, and presentations (prior to employment there)
Mental health consultant for families in crisis teaching healthy home strategies and techniques for their children, primarily concerning extreme behavior issues and children with special needs
Provider for schools who are having classroom management issues
Worked in conjunction with psychiatrists, therapists, parents and teachers to support mental health and behavioral goals for children and their families
Consulting, training, and presentations provided to area schools, districts and agencies focused on children’s social/emotional development and challenging behaviors
Presentations for parent education workshops on challenging behaviors
Maintenance of bookkeeping, fiscal management and appointments
Management of clinician referral system for clientele base
Student Support Specialist, Mental Health & Disabilities
Head Start
May 2010 – August 2013
Responsible for overseeing the mental health programs at 4 schools in underserved neighborhoods
Facilitated services for children with special needs, trauma, behavioral challenges
Formally trained teachers and staff using the inclusion model, to work with children in intervention or in crisis
Assisted in the development of social/emotional curricula for Head Start classrooms
Lead weekly parent support groups to provide help to families struggling with challenging children
Provided weekly children’s social skills groups to increase functioning with peers
Worked directly with parents and families from diverse backgrounds to provide psycho-education and support, in addition to facilitating referrals in the community
Therapeutic Teacher
Harris School - Houston TX
August 1999 – September 2007
Utilized psychoanalytic and attachment models to support children in the classroom
Invited to provide new teacher training and orientations focused on behavioral interventions in the classroom, social/emotional curricula, and working with families in intervention
Taught early childhood and latency age children struggling with acute mental health issues
Acted as integral part of a multi-disciplinary team during treatment planning
Worked daily with parents to support mental health goals during treatment
Sat in weekly multidisciplinary clinical meetings to discuss student progress
Created school wide social/emotional curricula
Acted as parent liaison for parents new to the program
Outreach Consultant
Center for Psychoanalytic Studies in conjunction with the Harris School - Houston, TX
August 2005 – May 2007
Worked under Family Centered Collaborative grant to provide mental health training to staff working in schools in underserved neighborhoods in Houston
Co-consulted with therapists and counselors to train teachers on how to best help the children who were having behavior issues or social/emotional delays
Held weekly teacher support groups for teachers to voice issues that arise in classroom
OTHER EXPERIENCE
(part time and volunteer)
Baylor School of Medicine
Providing ongoing psychotherapy supervision to 2nd and 3rd year psychiatry residents
Pathfinder Community Integration Program
Provided ongoing individual therapy on contract basis
Support Group Facilitator - Bo’s Place
Received specialized training to lead support groups for children and adults in who have suffered the loss of a parent or child
Certified Daring Way Facilitator
Member of Brené Brown’s First Daring Way cohort and lead groups for 3 years on The Menninger Clinic inpatient campus
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
Nameless Sound - Board Member
2022 - Present
Houston Group Psychotherapy Society
2019 - Present
Houston Psychoanalytic Society
2013 - Present
National Association of Social Workers 2013 - 2016
American Psychoanalytic Society
2014 - 2019
Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society 2013 - 2014
Clinical Leadership Society (U of H) – Board Chair 2012 - 2014
COMMITEE SEATS
Social Work Committee – Menninger
March 2015
Self-Assessment Committee – Mental Health, NCI
2010 - 2012
Strategic Planning Committee – Harris School 2008 - 2009
School Accreditation Committee – Harris School
2006 –2007
PRESENTATIONS
Gardner, Jennifer (2023, February) Libido in the Lunchbox: Exploring libidinal drives in sexuality for stay at home moms. Center for Psychoanalytic Studies, Houston, TX
Gardner, Jennifer (2018, June) Using Self-Disclosure to Facilitate Introjection: Transference and Counter-Transference Implications. American Psychoanalytic Association Conference, Austin, TX
Gardner, Jennifer (2018, Feb) The Art of Attuned Communication. The Jung Center, Houston, TX
Gardner, Jennifer (bi-monthly) Families in Recovery. Presented at the Family Education Day Conference, Menninger Clinic, Houston, TX
Gardner, Jennifer (2017, January) The Business of Practice: Setting the Fee and the Implications for Treatment. American Psychoanalytic Association Conference, New York, NY
Gardner, Jennifer (2017, March) Wabi Sabi: Finding the Beauty in the Imperfect, Impermanent, and Incomplete The Jung Center, Houston, TX
Gardner, Jennifer. (2015, July) Learned Helplessness, Passivity, and the Will to Power: Nietzsche’s Antidote to Apathy and its Application in Treatment . Menninger Clinic, Houston, TX.
Gardner, Jennifer. (2015, February, May) Support for Parents in Treatment. Saturday Lecture Series The Menninger Clinic, Houston, TX.
Gardner, Jennifer. (2012, August) Love and Loss in Children. Neighborhood Centers Inc., Houston, TX.
Gardner, Jennifer. (2013, February) How Laughter Impacts Mental Health in the Classroom. Neighborhood Centers Inc., Houston, TX.
Gardner, Jennifer. (2012, November) How Loss Impacts the Child’s Journey to the Self Bo’s Place Annual Conference, keynote speaker. Bo’s Place, Houston, TX.
Gardner, Jennifer. (2010, January) Managing Behavioral Challenges in a Group Setting. St. Edward Catholic School, Spring, TX.
Gardner, Jennifer. (2009, September) Managing Behavioral Challenges in a Group Setting. Annual Conference, keynote speaker. Bo’s Place, Houston, TX.
Gardner, Jennifer. (2008, October) Helping Children Cope with Stress. Mark Twain Elementary, Houston TX.
Gardner, Jennifer. (2008, March) The Four Stages of Learning in Children: Steps to Teaching Anything. Crossroads, Houston TX.
Gardner, Jennifer. (2007, August) Understanding the Experience of a Challenging Child: A Social/Emotional Perspective. Neighborhood Centers Inc., Houston, TX.
Gardner, Jennifer (2005, December) Helping Children Rebound: Strategies for Teachers, Post-Hurricane Katrina. Neighborhood Centers Inc., Houston, TX.
Gardner, Jennifer (2005, August). Creating the Classroom Sanctuary. LaPort ISD, LaPort,TX.