Jennifer “Jen” Leather, LCSW, helps individuals and couples better understand the relationship patterns that shape their lives. She believes therapy can create space to slow down, reflect, and move forward with greater clarity and confidence.
Much of Jen’s work focuses on helping people recognize the cycles that keep them feeling stuck—whether in communication breakdowns, recurring conflict, or anxiety within relationships. By exploring how past experiences influence present dynamics, she supports patients in building healthier, more secure ways of connecting with others and with themselves.
As Jen explains, “The goal is not just to reduce conflict, but to help people feel more understood, confident, and intentional in how they show up in their relationships.”
Specialty & Approach to Therapy
Jen specializes in working with couples and adults navigating relationship challenges, including communication difficulties, trust issues, attachment wounds, and boundary-setting. Many of the people she works with notice recurring patterns like overthinking, people-pleasing, emotional reactivity, or difficulty expressing their needs.
Her approach is warm, direct, and collaborative. Rather than simply listening passively, Jen actively helps her patients identify patterns, explore the emotions beneath conflict, and develop practical tools for change.
Her work is attachment-based and patient-centered, with a strong focus on couples therapy using Gottman-informed techniques. As a Gottman Level 1 trained therapist, she incorporates structured, evidence-based tools that help partners communicate more effectively, manage conflict, and rebuild emotional connection.
Jen also integrates cognitive-behavioral strategies to help individuals navigate anxiety and rumination, alongside trauma-informed and strengths-based approaches that support meaningful and sustainable growth.
Advice for Those Seeking Mental Health Care
Jen recognizes that beginning therapy can feel intimidating, especially for those starting the process for the first time. She encourages people to approach therapy with curiosity rather than judgment.
“Starting therapy doesn’t mean something is wrong with you — it means you’re willing to look at your life more intentionally and invest in yourself.”
When choosing a therapist, she recommends paying attention to the sense of fit. Therapy works best when individuals feel safe, understood, and able to speak honestly about their experiences.
It’s okay to ask questions, express what you’re hoping for, and advocate for what you need in the process. You don’t have to have everything figured out before starting — that’s part of the work therapy helps uncover.
Finding Balance Through Self-Care
Outside of the therapy room, Jen enjoys slowing down and making time for activities that help her recharge. She loves crafting, working on puzzles, getting absorbed in a good book, or unwinding with reality TV.
She also values connection and community, spending time with friends and family whenever she can. Traveling and exploring new places is another way she resets and finds inspiration.
Of course, some of her favorite moments of relaxation come from simply cuddling up with her cats.
If you’re looking for a therapist who brings warmth, curiosity, and a grounded presence to the work, Jen is accepting new patients. Reach out to get started or find a clinician who feels like the right fit!
