Today we’d like to introduce you to Jacklynne Marder.
Hi Jacklynne, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My own healing journey began when I was studying Psychology in college in Boulder. During this time, I endured a significant amount of grief and loss. My therapist at the time suggested that I try out yoga as a way to possibly find some relief and ease from my suffering. The first time I took yoga, it changed the course of my life. I fell in love with the way my body felt immensely safe and at home on my yoga mat. I became fascinated by the idea that feeling relief in the body could allow for significant positive changes to occur in the mind. Yoga allowed my mind to finally quiet and shift from fearful to empowering thoughts. This catalyzed my interest in the mind/body connection and trauma healing.
After graduating from college in Colorado, I completed my first yoga teacher training in India. When I returned home to Los Angeles following my journey in India, I felt a deep spiritual calling to help others deepen their connection to their own body, heart, and spirit. I became especially inspired to merge Western Holistic health modalities with Eastern philosophies such as yoga and meditation. I graduated with my Master’s in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University and went on to become a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, now with a thriving private practice in Los Angeles. I am committed to helping others find healing from painful life experiences so they may live the life they truly desire.
Through my own trauma therapy as well as my work as a trauma-informed yoga instructor and trauma therapist, I have experienced how our body/minds have an innate ability to release trauma and be restored to ease and balance. I feel grateful every day for the privilege of walking with others on their own paths of healing. In the past few years, it’s been an incredibly fulfilling experience to extend my work with individual clients to groups. I lead wellness retreats every few months, and it’s been a beautiful way to bring community together in a deep, intentional way.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not been easy building my business- learning the ins and outs of what it means to be a good entrepreneur has been a journey. It’s not something that was learned in therapy grad school, so in the beginning, it felt overwhelming not knowing where to start, but I have had amazing business coaches who have helped along the way.
As you know, we’re big fans of Jacklynne Marder Psychotherapy. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, passionate about helping people transform long-standing, painful patterns to find internal peace and freedom.
I work with adolescents and adults on issues related to developmental trauma, anxiety, depression, relationship issues, and life transitions.
I specialize in trauma and utilize two main trauma healing modalities with my clients: Somatic Therapy and EMDR. Somatic therapy is a method that focuses on helping to heal and regulate the nervous system. From a somatic perspective, it’s become evident that trauma is not held in “the event” but rather in the nervous system. EMDR stands for Eye movement desensitization reprocessing and is a psychotherapy that enables people to heal from past experiences which have caused emotional distress. Both of these modalities are different from traditional talk therapy in that they focus on healing from the level of the body/nervous system vs. through solely intellectually understanding our problems and past experiences.
In my own talk therapy, I have found that it can only go so far when it comes to healing on a deeper level since we hold our past experiences and trauma in the body. So, I’ve been very grateful to discover these trauma healing modalities, and it’s been fascinating to see their effectiveness in my work with clients.
I also teach trauma-informed yoga, which is restorative, gentle yoga combined with breathing exercises, meditation, and guided imagery to increase one’s connection to their own body as well as promote feelings of safety within the body. In this class, I incorporate tools from EMDR therapy as well.
Every few months, I lead women’s day-long retreats at Heaven’s Hill Retreat Center in Old Agoura, which include yoga, breathwork, journaling, writing exercises, meditation, art therapy, reflection circles, and sound baths in the sacred tipi! It’s been a beautiful way to bring my services to the larger community! Community is a vital part of healing. We can’t heal in isolation. Our wounds are often relational, so healing in relation to others is such an essential part of the work!
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
Along my journey of working with so many different kinds of people in therapy of different backgrounds and histories, the most important thing I have learned is about the power of owning our stories. We have each a unique story. When we deny our stories, they tend to define us. When we own our stories, we can choose to reframe them in ways that feel empowering and healing.
Contact Info:
- Website: JacklynneMarderPsychotherapy.com
- Instagram: JacklynneMarder_Psycotherapy
Image Credits
Ngozi Assata
