About Me
Chronic Illness Therapist, Counseling for Cancer, Grief & Loss Therapist, Therapy for Burnout, Therapy for Therapists, Therapy for Medical Professionals
Hi there. I’m Jackie.
I help people who are struggling with life’s challenges and want to find a better way forward.
We are often pulled in many directions. Our family expectations, messages from society, our peers, friends, and influencers. It can be hard to find the time and space to think about what we truly want, who we want to be, and how we want to feel. Counseling provides a moment to stop and listen more deeply to yourself with me as your guide. Together we can give you the opportunity to grow in self-awareness, heal from past and present hurts, increase your feelings of confidence, and improve your relationships with others.
I most often am told that my style is straightforward, supportive, and insightful.
Here’s a glimpse of what it’s like to work with me:
Compassionate Guidance: In our sessions, you can expect a non-judgmental and empathetic space where you are free to explore your thoughts and feelings without reservation.
Holistic and Integrated Approach: My therapeutic approach recognizes the interconnectedness of mind, body, and spirit. We'll address not only the immediate challenges you're facing but also work towards a deeper understanding of your past to help build a more hopeful future.
Specialized Expertise: With a focus on chronic illness, grief, burnout, stress, anxiety, depression, and trauma, I bring specialized expertise to help you navigate these complex aspects of life.
Tailored and Evidence-based Support: My therapeutic interventions are evidence-based and tailored to your specific needs, ensuring that our work together resonates with your goals and aspirations.
Personal Empowerment: My goal is to empower you to discover the strengths within yourself.
Through personalized strategies and support,we'll explore, heal, and build the foundation for a more fulfilling and balanced life.
My Story
I decided to become a therapist because of the life-changing impact my own therapy had on me in my 20’s. I started seeing a therapist because I was working with children with cancer and dealing with depression and burnout from the suffering and stress I was witnessing all around me. I was also grieving personal losses and hardships that left me feeling hopeless and uncertain of my future. I went to therapy thinking I was going to process how my job was affecting me and ended up exploring so much more about myself.
Through therapy I have transformed. I used to be a people-pleasing perfectionist who could not stand up for herself even when the stakes were high. Now, I feel confident in my ideas, share my thoughts and feelings freely, and give myself much needed compassion and support during hard times. Therapy has improved my relationships, the way I show up at work, the goals I choose to reach for, the kind of partner and parent I am, and the list goes on.
Being a therapist brings me great joy and meaning as there is no better job than helping people heal from suffering and grow more fully into themselves. I would love to come alongside and help you in whatever stresses you are experiencing. Please reach out so we can talk more about how I can help.
Professional Background
MS, Marriage and Family Therapy, Seattle Pacific University, Seattle, WA
PhD, Medical Family Therapy, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC
Post-doctoral fellowship, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
Licensed (LMFT) in California and Montana
Worked in academia, hospitals, non-profits, rural and metropolitan areas, churches
Specialized training in Medical Family Therapy
Primary populations include: college students, young adults, adults, mid-life, patients, caregivers, medical professionals, healthcare professionals, therapists, therapists in training
Primary issues include: medical conditions, chronic illness, disability, injury, end-of-life, grief and loss, identity and development, healing from trauma, professional issues such as burnout and leadership development, and people who need help to speak up and advocate for themselves, .
Listen to Dr. Jackie Williams on the American Family Therapy Academy Podcast
Dr. Jackie Williams-Reade was featured on the AFTA podcast discussing her recent book co-authored with Max Zubatsky.
Listen as Dr. Jackie Williams discusses how families are impacted by a child being diagnosed with cancer or other chronic illness
Listen as Dr. Jackie Williams discusses her research on how families are impacted by a child being diagnosed with cancer or other chronic illness
“Go confidently
in the direction of your
dreams!”
— Henry David Thoreau
