I am a licensed counselor in Fort Collins, Colorado.

I have been a counselor since January 2014 and have owned and operated my private practice since July 2019. The timing of my counseling training influenced every aspect of the knowledge I gained, as well as the strength I built during that time.

A Journey Through Hardship

In 2010, I embarked on my master’s in counseling at the age of 35 as a second career. That year, I left my ex-husband on a Friday, moved myself and my kids (then ages six and eight) into my mom’s house over the weekend, and began my master’s degree in counseling on a Monday.

I was in crisis mode, going through a divorce, and hoping desperately that this huge career risk would lead to financial stability.

This was a major career change for me, as I’d earned my bachelor’s degree in English eleven years prior and had been an editor up until this point. I pursued counseling because I was inspired by a counseling instructor who later became my personal counselor. She helped me recognize my codependence and gain the strength to leave a worsening situation that showed no signs of improvement. I felt so grateful for finding her and wanted to be able to help others in the same profound way she’d helped me.

It took me three and a half years to earn my master’s degree in clinical counseling, and during that time, I faced no shortage of difficulties: raising my two kids mostly on my own with very little money, working part-time in a church to help pay bills, and trying to heal myself and my kids from divorce and the challenges that came with their father’s struggles with alcohol.

During this time, I learned that my kids were being exposed to consistent drunk driving when they weren’t with me. I spent time in court, sometimes representing myself, hoping I could prevent my kids from getting into a drunk-driving accident during the weekends they weren’t with me. Would I wish this on anyone? No. I was constantly worried about my kids and their emotional and physical safety. I was anxious, on edge, and working constantly, teetering on the edge of emotional and physical burnout for years.

On the flip side, did these difficult times teach me a lot and make me a better mother and counselor in the long run? Absolutely!

Keep reading Jennifer’s story below…