Meet Jen

Healing is a process, it is lifelong. It is being able to show-up more and more as your whole, authentic self in the present moment. 

People often describe me as warm, open, and curious—with a mix of kindness and directness that makes vulnerability feel a little less scary. 

I didn’t always imagine myself as a therapist.

In fact, I started in a very different career—one that slowly made me sick. I thought I had a physical illness, but what I eventually discovered was that I was deeply disconnected from myself, my body, and my life.

Depression, anxiety, chronic pain, and disordered eating were all signals pointing me toward my authentic self. The healing process began for me when I started to reconnect to my own heart’s desires and aliveness. When I experienced the power of holistic psychotherapy for myself as a client, that is when I knew how I wanted to spend the rest of my life: cultivating authentic connection and space for people to be who they truly are.  

That’s how Nourished Energy was born. At first, my focus was helping people step out of diet culture and into a more trusting relationship with their bodies, because it broke my heart to realize how much time and life get wasted in trying to be in a body other than the one we are in. But it didn’t take long for me to realize the depth of the hurt and the myriad of symptoms I was seeing, from anxiety to depression to chronic pain to disordered eating, all started to all point to deeper roots in who people take themselves to be. I started to see the many adaptations we make to show up in the world, believing in order to have connection we must show up as someone other than our authentic selves.  Ultimately, distorting who we are and creating so much pain. And in getting to this depth, talk therapy is incredible and I also wanted to holistically bring together the mind, body, and heart in creative and inspired ways. That’s when I dove into advanced training in approaches that honor the whole person.

“Having supervised Jen, I can say with confidence that she practices from the heart. She engages her clients in the depths and complexity of their humanity with insightful care and palpable compassion. I trust Jen to be able to meet her clients where they are and help them experience healing.”
Bryan Nixon, MA, LPC Founder & Psychotherapist at Mindful Counseling GR

My Approach

As my work grew, I realized I wanted to be multidimensional in supporting people to engage in the healing process. That curiosity led me to train in in a wide variety of approaches including EMDR, Internal Family Systems (parts work), and NeuroAffective Touch®—all powerful approaches that help us work with the body, the mind, and the trauma we experience. Ultimately, though the NeuroAffective Relational Model™ (NARM®) is my foundational approach and I have advanced training as a NARM® Master Therapist. 

But here’s the truth as I experience it: no model or technique heals on its own. What matters most is the relationship we build. My promise is to show up fully—curious, authentic, and present—so you can begin the process of showing up fully too. From there, the deepest work of therapy can unfold. As Jon Frederickson says: “Models don’t heal patients. Relationships do.” And as much as people would like a magic wand cure, there are no short cuts I have found. 

What It’s Like to Work With Me

Therapy with me isn’t about quick fixes or surface-level coping skills. It’s about creating a dependable and steady relationship where you can start to trust bringing all of yourself—your doubts, your brilliance, your hidden pain—and know you’ll be met with care, depth, insight, and solid clinical skills. I’ll ask questions that might be evocative, but I’ll also be right there with you as you explore your answers.

My clients often come to me after trying other kinds of therapy that didn’t quite reach the depth they needed. They’re ready to go further, and I’m ready to go there with them. I am also honored to be there alongside someone finding their courage to start therapy for the first time. We may laugh together, we may sit in silence together, and sometimes we’ll wrestle with things that feel impossible. Through it all, my commitment is to go the distance with you as you reconnect with your authentic self and step into the life you want to live.

“…to experience your own uniqueness, to feel the excitement of sensing, for the very first time, your own awareness of life. What if someone had helped you to own all of this…to own your own life?”

 -Judith Duerk from Circle of Stones

Education:

Bachelor of Science Degree in Behavioral Science
Master of Arts Degree in Professional Counseling

License & Certifications:

Training Highlights:

Associations:

Board Member:

Michigan Eating Disorders Alliance: advocating for eating disorder prevention and awareness.

Former Volunteer:

Women’s Resource Center: mentoring and supporting women in career transition.

Beyond the Therapy Room

Connection isn’t just something I practice in my office—it’s something I live. You’ll often find me traveling or going on adventures with family and friends, dancing at live shows, or hiking in the woods. I love trying new foods, I love music, and I really love dogs -my pups are some of the greatest teachers I have when it comes to pure joy and presence.

Trauma Certification CCTP

 

Reach Me

Jennifer DiGennaro MA LPC
1324 Lake Drive Suite 8
Grand Rapids, Michigan 49506

Tel: 616.446.6728
E-mail: Jen@NourishedEnergy.com

Schedule a free 15 minute phone consultation with Jen