01 · Who Jennifer works with

Jennifer works with family conflicts, trauma and abuse and parenting issues

Jennifer lists 17 specialisms and 33 further focus areas. Specialisms are the subjects Jennifer chose to list first, which is the closest a listing gets to “this is my actual practice”.

02 · In Jennifer's own words

What Jennifer says about the work

Reproduced in full and unedited - not summarised, not tightened, not rewritten in a house voice.

Hello, I am a Licensed Clinical Social worker with over 19 years of experience working with children and families. I have worked with individuals with a wide range of concerns such as behavioral problems, anger issues, ADHD, parenting issues, as well as trauma and abuse. I believe in client centered practice using an empowerment approach to help you gain the tools you need to be successful.

My counseling style is compassionate and caring. I believe in treating everyone with respect, sensitivity, and compassion . My approach encompasses cognitive behavioral therapy with a solution focused approach. I will tailor our dialog and treatment plan to meet your unique and specific needs.

It takes courage to seek help and I am honored to be someone to guide you along in this process. I am here to help and support your needs.

I look forward to meeting you!

Jennifer Hoffman, on the BetterHelp listing · read 9 Oct 2026

03 · How Jennifer works

The 4 approaches Jennifer lists, in plain English

These are the clinical methods Jennifer lists. The descriptions are Maker Therapy's, not Jennifer's - a general explanation of what each method is, so the list means something before you have spoken to anybody. They are not a claim about how Jennifer runs a session.

Client-Centred TherapyPerson-centred · Rogerian

The therapist does not steer toward a technique or a diagnosis. They offer sustained, non-judgemental attention and reflect back what they hear, on the premise that people find their own direction when they are genuinely listened to. Often what people mean by “someone who just gets it”.

Mindfulness-Based TherapyMBCT

Trains attention on what is happening right now - body, breath, the thought as it arrives - so distress can be observed rather than automatically acted on. Strongest evidence is in preventing depression from recurring, and it is usually taught as a practice you keep doing outside the session.

Solution-Focused Brief TherapySFBT

Starts from where you want to end up rather than from how you got here. Sessions look for the times the problem is already smaller and work out what is different about those, so the number of sessions tends to be short and the work concrete.

Trauma-Focused TherapyTF-CBT · trauma-informed

CBT adapted for people whose difficulty is rooted in a frightening or overwhelming event. Pacing is the point: safety and stabilisation come first, the memory itself is approached gradually and only when you are ready, and the aim is that recalling it stops hijacking the present.

04 · What happens next

From this page to a first session

Jennifer practises through BetterHelp, so the route in is BetterHelp's. This is that sequence, written by Maker Therapy from the platform's published process - not a description of Jennifer's own practice, and not a promise about how quickly anything happens.

1. A questionnaire, not a booking form

   BetterHelp opens with a set of questions about what you are dealing with, what you want from therapy, and any preferences on the therapist. You are not booking Jennifer at this point.

2. Naming Jennifer specifically

   BetterHelp matches algorithmically by default, so asking for Jennifer is a step you have to take. There is a field for requesting a specific therapist during sign-up, and you can switch afterwards from your account. Starting from a link on this page does not by itself assign you to Jennifer.

3. If the caseload is full

   You will be offered somebody else rather than put on a waitlist. Worth knowing, because it is easy to assume a match is the person you asked for.

4. The first conversation

   A first session is typically history and orientation: what brought you, what has been tried, what you want to be different. It is also where the questions in the next section belong.

5. If the fit is wrong

   Changing therapist on BetterHelp does not need a reason. A first session that does not click is common and is not a verdict on therapy. That option existing is the main practical difference between a platform and a private practice.

05 · Before you commit

4 questions worth asking Jennifer

Built from what Jennifer actually lists, so they are answerable and specific rather than generic. Maker Therapy's, not Jennifer's - Jennifer has not seen them and is under no obligation to answer any of them.

• “You list both Solution-Focused Brief Therapy and Client-Centred Therapy. Which do you lean on with someone like me?”

  Those two point in different directions - one structured and led by the therapist, the other led by you. The answer tells you what the sessions will actually feel like.

• “How do you decide when someone is ready to work on a traumatic memory itself?”

  Pacing is the biggest safety question in trauma work. A clear, unhurried answer here matters more than any credential.

• “With 21 years in, what has changed most in how you work?”

  Long experience is only an advantage if it has been examined. This tends to surface whether it has.

• “How do you handle the gap between sessions if something comes up?”

  On BetterHelp this varies a great deal by therapist. Better to know the rhythm now than to discover it on a bad week.

06 · Practical details

Credentials and licensing

Credential

LCSW

Licensed in

Illinois

Licence

IL LCSW 149012045

Licence number

149012045

Licence expires

30 Nov 2027

NPI

1164939229

Years in practice

21

Gender

Female

Languages

English

International clients

Not accepted

Listed since

15 May 2026

07 · Provenance

Where every line on this page came from

Jennifer's name, credential, state, subjects, approaches and biography are read from BetterHelp's therapist roster, which Maker Therapy re-reads once a day; this page reflects the reading taken on 9 Oct 2026. The licence number and NPI are cross-checked against public registers.

The plain-English method descriptions, the first-session walkthrough and the questions are written by Maker Therapy and labelled as such wherever they appear.

Maker Therapy is not BetterHelp, does not take bookings, and has not met Jennifer. There are no reviews or ratings on this page because we have no way to verify one. If you start therapy through a link here, we may be paid a commission - it does not change your price and it does not affect who appears here or in what order.

Something on this page wrong or out of date? Report it and it will be checked against the source.