My name is Jackie and the founder of The Center For Every Body, LLC. Before I am a therapist, I am a human being. I enjoy snuggling with my cats Sophie, Charlie, and Lulu. I love being outside, even when it is crispy and cold out. I am a lover of all foods! Since the pandemic, I have found so much joy in painting my nails. It has become part of my weekly self-care routine. I love how the simple act of painting my nails has brought so much joy into my life. I am obsessed currently with indoor plants (I have 30 now!) On my days off you can find me at a park soaking up fresh air and drinking my favorite coffee.

Now the therapisty stuff…

I graduated with my Bachelors in social work from Youngstown State University, where I now teach undergrad social work students. After I got my BSW, I became a licensed social worker and began my career working in community mental health. This was a foundational experience for me where I worked with individuals with all sorts of mental health struggles. During this time, I completed my Masters of social work at Case Western Reserve University and began treating clients with severe eating disorders in a residential setting. This heavily influenced who I am today as a therapist.

I am trained in Eye-movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), which is a trauma, body-oriented psychotherapy. I integrate parts of EMDR with almost all of my clients because with any treatment modality, you need to feel safe and comfortable and EMDR interventions have the ability to teach you to feel comfortable and expand your window of tolerance. I have completed advanced EMDR training in perinatal mental health and love treating birth traumas. I also enjoy integrating psychedelics into my treatment with clients. I currently partner with Journey Clinical so I can offer Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy to my clients. Journey Clinical takes care of the medical portion of the treatment so I can do the therapy portion.

 Currently, I am a Doctoral Candidate at Saybrook University where I am focusing on integrative mental health and mind-body approaches to psychotherapy. During my time at Saybrook, I have completed training in clinical hypnosis and am currently working towards my research dissertation. I have also been published in the American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis where I addressed the benefits of Hypnotherapy on pelvic floor dysfunction for postpartum mothers. My dissertation focuses on the experiences potential birth-givers have when told that they need to lose weight before pursuing IVF.

My current passion and work lies in creating a supportive environment for folks in larger bodies who have been stigmatized by their providers, families, and diet culture in the media and in the world! As your size inclusive therapist, I will support you as you navigate the challenges that weight stigma brings.