Education & Background

Jennifer Hughes (she/her) is a Licensed Social Worker (LSW) who brings a trauma-informed, creative, and compassionate approach to her therapeutic work. Jennifer earned her Master of Social Work from Rutgers University, where she specialized in trauma, and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and Anthropology from the University of Vermont. She also completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Motion Pictures and Television at the Academy of Art College in San Francisco. During this time, she worked in documentary film production and community outreach, focusing on social justice, human rights, grief, and children’s health and wellness-experiences that continue to inform her deeply relational and narrative-centered approach to therapy.

In addition to her clinical training, Jennifer is a lifelong creative whose passion for expressive arts naturally extends into her work with clients. For over a decade, she has served as a children’s and teen group facilitator at Good Grief, Inc., where she used art, psychodrama, music, and play-based practices to help young people explore, express, and integrate their grief within a supportive community.

Jennifer’s clinical experience includes individual and group work with children, adolescents, and adults across Partial Hospitalization, Intensive Outpatient, Peer Support and Residential Behavioral Health settings. She has supported individuals navigating homelessness, complex trauma, and substance use disorders, and is committed to advocating for equitable access to high-quality mental health care for marginalized and underserved populations.

Approach

Jennifer uses a person-centered, strengths-based and trauma-informed approach, believing that true healing begins when clients feel met with authenticity, curiosity, and compassion. She values collaboration and flexibility, tailoring treatment to each individual’s strengths, needs, and lived experience. Jennifer strives to create a therapeutic space where clients feel safe, empowered, and supported in exploring their emotions, building resilience, and making meaningful, sustainable changes.

With clients, Jennifer incorporates evidence=based modalities such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Motivational Interviewing, and expressive arts techniques. Her approach emphasizes empowerment, creativity, and the belief that each client possesses the inner resources necessary for growth, connection, and transformation.

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