Jenna Bennett, PhD

To me, nothing is more meaningful or profound than helping people truly know themselves and find more freedom in their own minds.

I am a licensed clinical psychologist (CA PSY34258, NY 025754), who specializes in relationships and trauma. I help my patients develop their identity, build intimacy in relationships, and work through early emotional neglect and other forms of repeated trauma. I support parents through the beauty and the challenge of raising children. Having spent the past twelve years working in schools, clinics, and private practice helping individuals of all ages understand their emotions and connect with those around them, I have a deep understanding of the uniqueness of individuals, and the wide range of human experience, emotional, and mental health.

Prior to beginning my doctoral training, I taught early childhood education and separation-based classes for children and their parents. I received my PhD in clinical psychology from the CUNY Graduate Center and the City College of New York, and completed an APA-accredited internship in adult outpatient mental health with a sub-emphasis in child and adolescent mental health at Pacific Clinics. I completed two years of advanced at the Wright Institute Los Angeles where I received a certificate in Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy. I obtained additional training through the Affirmative Couch in providing affirmative psychotherapy to members of LGBTQIA+, consensually non-monogamous, and kink communities.

My Clinical Approach

I value the power of a strong therapeutic relationship rooted in trust, where feelings, histories, and the complex layers of an individual’s experiences can be explored. Life is full of moments of intense struggle. When we encounter these moments, we often don’t have the capacity or internal and external support to process our emotions. In these instances, we take with us whatever was unexpressed and unprocessed as we try to move forward. This continues to impact us in a variety of ways: we get angry, sad, or frozen in certain moments but don’t really understand why. We want to experience meaningful relationships but can’t figure out how to get there. We feel a pervasive sense of uncertainty or insecurity about who we are.

Together, we will journey to the root of difficulties, and cultivate deep and lasting change. In therapy, I will invite you to freely share your thoughts, feelings, and memories. Through conversation, reflection, and the dynamic relationship that grows between us, we will recognize patterns, develop understanding, and build your capacity for navigating the challenges of life.