About me:

My name is Jeannie (like “in a bottle”) I am in my late 30s, and originally from the Washington D.C. area but grew up here, in outer east Portland/Rockwood. Before starting college in my 30s, I worked in the restaurant industry for nearly 20 years. This is where I learned that the best place to cry is in a walk-in cooler. The aroma of spilled beer and chopped onions, the crisp cool air on your face, and the humming of the refrigeration system is a much needed place of solace in an otherwise chaotic environment.

In addition to food service, I've spent the last 5 years working in higher education doing career counseling, academic advising, and college admissions. I did my clinical internship at the PSU Community Counseling Clinic, a low-cost community mental health clinic. Over the years, I have worked with co-workers, customers, students, and clients from many different backgrounds and life experiences, such as people struggling with addiction, fear of deportation, various mental health issues, immigrants and refugees, people with disabilities, low-income, and Queer people.

Like many clients, I have experienced adversities growing up such as a single parent home, poverty, delinquency issues, parental addition, incarceration, and death. My life and work experiences have significantly influenced my decision to become a counselor. I strive to be a genuine, trusting and safe person for clients who have historically lacked safety and trust in relationships and within systems.

In my spare time, I enjoy banter, social commentary, and starting books and not finishing them. I also enjoy making things like food, art, and jokes, trivia, the 90s, and improving my 2nd grade level Spanish.