Jennifer Pinkerton

Hello! My name is Jennifer and I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor (LCDC) in the state of Texas with over five years of experience providing therapy services. I am a Certified Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapist and in the process of completing my certification as a Dialectical Behavioral Therapist (DBT). I have worked in a variety of therapeutic settings including: In-patient residential treatment, partial and intensive outpatient care, geriatrics and managing a private practice in the South Padre Island/Laguna Madre community. I work with clients affected by addictions, including substance use, process addictions including disordered eating and sex-addictions, depression, anxiety, trauma, self-esteem and relationship challenges from individual, group and family work. I also helped many people who have experienced physical and emotional trauma and physical and sexual abuse. I am a native Texan, originally from San Antonio, and I moved to South Padre Island, TX over two decades ago where I am raising my four sons together with my husband. I received my undergraduate degree in Psychology from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, TX and my Masters degree in Social Work from Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio, TX. My approach to therapy is eclectic and client centered. I believe in client autonomy and right to self-determination, in which I assist my clients in identifying their goals and solutions to elicit change. Clients are the experts on their lives and determine the path and depth of therapy. Through a strengths-based and solutions-focused lens, I draw on multiple treatment modalities to guide clients in identifying strengths and developing treatment plans that accomplish their goals. Through Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Motivational Interviewing (MI), I assist clients in exploring relationships among thoughts, feelings, and behaviors to aid in discovering dysfunctional thought patterns leading to self-destructive behaviors and beliefs. Using Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), I support clients through developing skills: mindfulness, distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness, and emotion regulation with the goal of moving clients towards a life involving the capacity for experiencing joy and freedom. I utilized EMDR and experiential therapies to assist my clients in resolving negative cognitions, negative self-talk/core beliefs and process through their identified traumas in their life. It takes courage to seek for a more fulfilling and happier life and to take the first steps towards a change in your pathway to healing. If you are ready to take that step I am here to support, empower and walk along side you. I look forward to working with you!