Jennifer Josiak (she/her)
Registered Psychotherapist
Jennifer is a Registered Psychotherapist who completed her Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology. She cherishes and has gained valuable clinical skills working with children, teens, adults, and families in a variety of settings for more than 20 years. She integrates elements from a variety of therapeutic interventions such as solution focused, person-centered, and cognitive behavioral to tailor a therapy specifically to clients.
Jennifer prides herself on being down to earth which she believes helps her to build warm rapports with clients and allows her to get to the roots of problems. She strives to provide a kind, supportive, and empathetic environment in which her clients feel heard and empowered to work towards their next step of achieving a happier self. Jennifer works to identify client strengths to help them find solutions and develop the strategies to help achieve increased health and overall well-being. She helps clients bridge the gap from a place of distress to a place of positive change.
"Family is the most important of my core values. That is why it is so important for me to aid both children and families navigate their current struggles. I also pride myself on being down to earth, genuine, and caring which I believe helps me to build warm rapports with both clients and families, allowing me to get to the roots of their problems."
What made you want to work with CCP?
Before ever stepping foot into CCP I was told of the positive and accepting culture within the site. After one visit I knew it was the home (away from home) for me! I now feel fortunate each day to be surrounded by CCP’s team and to work within its warm, cozy, and calming environment each day.
It has always been important to me to work within in a site with a multi disciplinary team. Throughout our work together there may be times that we feel stumped to find all of the answers in our therapy room. These answers may be easily found just down the hall within CCPs varying staff and collaborative practice. Working within such a collaborative staff means that I know I can support my clients in varying ways. CCP collaboration also means that conversations are constantly occurring about how to best help clients coming to our site which is important to me.
What is the most rewarding part of your job?
As a therapist, I am asking clients to be open and share vulnerable parts of themselves. I do not take this lightly and feel privileged to be the therapist with whom these vulnerable parts are shared. When a client allows me to walk alongside them in their journey I am honoured and find this client- therapist rapport very rewarding.
What do you focus on first when someone is new to getting help?
Client and therapist rapport and connection is paramount when someone is new to getting help. Once we have built this and I have allowed clients to see they can trust me in a judgement-free zone is then where our work can begin. I focus on only going as fast as the client is ready to go. Sometimes we are talking about hard stuff, and we will only proceed at a pace that is permissible by you.
A kiddo once told me “Jenn, I am tired today and you are not getting a lot out of me today”. I felt fortunate for this kiddo to have advocated how deep she was willing to go in that day’s session with me. This self-advocacy helped set our agenda and allowed me to understand what she needed from me that session, and how I could be of best support to her. The client voice is very important to me.
What areas of practice and populations do you enjoy working with?
I cherish and have gained valuable clinical skills working with children, teens, adults, and families in a variety of settings for more than 20 years. Although I can and do work with any age group, I feel I excel at working with adolescents and parents.
I bring a specialized knowledge and strong interest to CCP in working to support clients struggling with relationships and divorce, blended families, parenting, low self-esteem, anxiety reduction, ADHD, and learning difficulties.
What prevents people from coming in and doing this work?
It is important to me to help clients understand immediately that my therapy space is free of any judgement. I believe that at times clients fear this and therefore it may stop them from coming to do this work. I bring forth the belief that we all have struggles, and because I have never walked a single day in any clients shoes demonstrates that I can never be in a place to judge anyone.
Additionally, as a parent myself I fully understand and can relate to how busy life can be! Adding something else to an already full stress plate can make it feel heavier. To aid already busy clients to be able to attend therapy I am happy to be able to provide the flexibility for busy schedules with in-person, virtual and phone appointments. Being able to provide this flexibility to clients allows them to dump some of their scheduling stress instead of adding things such as a commute to their busy days.
What modalities do you use? How would you describe your approach/style to this work?
I integrate elements from a variety of therapeutic interventions such as solution focused, person-centered, cognitive behavioral, and mindfulness- based interventions to tailor a therapy specifically to clients.
When working with children I draw on their most natural skills by incorporating play, games, and art into my sessions to help restore the well-being of children and families.
How do you know you're the right fit for a client?
I approach my work from both personal and professional experiences. It is through both of these lenses that I am able to identify if I am the best support for areas the client is seeking change.
As a client, you may know that I’m the right therapist for you by trusting your gut! Why this may not sound quantifiable I feel you should trust your feelings about the connection you feel you made with me in session. It is important to me that clients feel my sincerity in wanting to support them.
Therapy is a partnership between client and therapist. This work itself may not always feel pleasant, but if it is the right client-therapist fit then it will ultimately be worth it!
"When supporting a client with an eating disorder I feel they most need to understand the root of ‘where is the hurt’? Gaining insight into the roots of the eating disorder behaviour is important. Understanding the thoughts and feelings first will help us then work towards positive coping."
What phrases or sayings have people used to describe their work with you?
Clients have reported to me that I bring a calm energy to our space. They have also shared that I am very approachable, not a ‘textbook’ therapist and that I leave them feeling hopeful.
I have had many parents communicate to me that children find therapy with me fun. I am happy to know that these children are identifying that we can also bring humour and fun into their sometimes difficult work.
What would or have clients had to say about you and how you have helped them?
Clients have shared that they are comfortable with me in sessions and that our rapports are often built quickly. They have shared how wonderful it feels to be heard and to leave sessions feeling hopeful again.
I am honoured to know that positive things are also being said about me when clients leave my therapy room. When a pediatrician refers clients to me it demonstrates that parents have communicated to their doctors in positive ways that I have supported not only their children but also their family.
Why are you in this field of work?
I can’t say that there was only one thing that led me to want to become a therapist. Both personal and professional paths have steered me to this field of work. It is through this field of work that I have been fortunate to take my own personal struggles and work to turn them into something positive which for me is helping others. I have also been able to take many things I have learned professionally and bring them into my practice.
How would you describe your approach?
My approach to working with clients depends on what they are coming to me with, but ultimately, I focus on meeting the clients where they are. I work to first build our trust and rapport, and then work to build a collaborative approach to therapy with the client. I strive to provide a kind, supportive, and empathetic environment in which clients feel heard and empowered to work towards their next step of achieving a happier self. I work to identify client strengths to help them find solutions and develop strategies to help achieve increased health and overall well-being. I help clients bridge the gap from a place of distress to a place of positive change.
What is the most rewarding part of your job?
As a therapist I am asking clients to be open and share vulnerable parts of themselves. I do not take this lightly and feel privileged to be the therapist that these vulnerable parts are shared with. When a client allows me to walk alongside them in their journey I am honoured and find this client- therapist rapport very rewarding.
What’s the most surprising thing about you?
I am a total country girl at heart! I believe that being raised on a dairy farm has helped to create some of my most humble and important roots. Playing in the mud, mucking out in the bush, or being able to grow my family’s meal is where I am at my happiest and I view this as my best form of self care. It is with this insight that I am able to support clients in either furthering their understanding of, or developing their individual personal passions, places of joy, and things that fill them up.
What approach do you take when treating Anxiety?
When treating anxiety, I approach it bifold. I will work to help clients understand the roots of why they are feeling the way that they are feeling. I will also provide them with positive coping strategies to aid them when their anxiety bubbles up.
How do you help people who are not sure what to talk about in therapy?
Clients come to therapy with different entry points. Some clients may have engaged in counselling prior, some have not. Some clients know where they want to begin, some do not. My style is to meet any client where they are, and to figure out where it is they want to go. If required, I am able to provide a more structured beginning to the therapy process; however, as we collectively figure out client’s direction I will begin to look more heavily to them to ensure that we are working on the core of what is valuable to them.
I come at therapy looking through a biopsychosocial lens. This considers clients biological, psychological, social factors and their complex interactions. What this boils down to is that in therapy we will focus on getting to know all these points because it all matters!
