Jackie Brubaker

My approach is warm, collaborative, and relationship-focused. I believe meaningful therapy begins with feeling understood and accepted, while also creating space to gently challenge the patterns that may no longer be serving you. I don’t see my role as telling you what you should do. Instead, I work alongside you to develop a deeper understanding of yourself, your relationships, and the experiences that have shaped you.

I work with individuals and couples around relationship concerns, communication, intimacy, self-worth, identity, life transitions, and recurring patterns in relationships. My goal is to help you develop greater self-awareness, communicate more effectively, and build relationships that feel more connected and authentic.

I draw from several therapeutic modalities, tailoring my approach to the individual or couple sitting in front of me.

Internal Family Systems (IFS) helps us explore the different parts of ourselves that emerge in response to life experiences. You may notice a part of you that becomes anxious, another that withdraws, another that tries to keep everyone happy, or another that becomes critical or guarded. Rather than viewing these reactions as problems to eliminate, IFS invites curiosity about what these parts are protecting and what they need. This can create greater self-compassion and help you respond to yourself and others with more intention.

Narrative Therapy focuses on the stories we develop about ourselves and our lives. Our experiences can sometimes lead us to internalize beliefs such as “I’m not enough,” “I always choose the wrong person,” or “This is just how I am.” Together, we can examine those stories, understand the experiences that contributed to them, and consider whether they still reflect the person you are today. This work can create space for a more flexible and empowering understanding of yourself.

I also take a collaborative approach to therapy. I believe you bring important knowledge about your own life, and therapy works best when we can work together to understand what you need and what you hope to change. I’ll offer perspective, tools, and therapeutic guidance while remaining curious about your individual experience.

For couples, I incorporate Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)and the Gottman Method. Both approaches offer valuable ways of understanding relationship dynamics and helping couples move beyond recurring conflict. EFT helps couples identify the underlying emotional needs and attachment patterns that often fuel disconnection, criticism, withdrawal, or conflict. The Gottman Method provides practical tools for improving communication, managing conflict, rebuilding friendship and connection, and strengthening intimacy.

Rather than focusing simply on who is right or wrong in a conflict, I’m interested in helping couples understand the cycle they have developed together and find new ways of responding to one another.

I particularly enjoy working with individuals and couples who are looking to better understand their relationships and themselves within those relationships.

You may be struggling with communication or conflict with your partner, feeling disconnected from someone you love, or finding yourself repeating patterns that you wish you could change. You may be dating and trying to understand why certain relationship dynamics continue to show up, or you may be in a long-term partnership and wondering how to reconnect after a period of distance.

I also work with people navigating questions around intimacy, sexuality, self-worth, identity, and how they want to show up in their relationships. Sometimes these concerns are connected to a specific relationship, while other times they reflect longer-standing patterns or experiences that have shaped the way you see yourself and others.

I work with clients who are going through transitions and periods of change as well. Changes in relationships, career, family, identity, or stage of life can bring up emotions and questions that are difficult to navigate alone. Therapy can offer an opportunity to step back, understand what the transition is bringing up for you, and consider what you want the next chapter to look like.

You don't need to come to therapy with everything figured out. Many clients know that something isn't working but aren't quite sure why, or they understand their patterns intellectually but have difficulty changing them. That is often where therapy can be particularly helpful.

I want therapy to be a space where you can be honest about what is actually happening in your life—not just what you think should be happening.

That may mean exploring the relationship you’re in, the relationship you want, or the relationship you have with yourself. It may mean looking at old experiences that continue to influence your present-day relationships or developing new ways of communicating and setting boundaries.

I bring warmth, curiosity, and openness to this work, while also being willing to explore the more difficult questions when they arise. Therapy doesn't have to be overly clinical or intimidating. I want you to feel comfortable enough to be honest while also feeling supported as you work toward meaningful change.

Ultimately, my goal is to help you develop a deeper understanding of yourself, create healthier patterns, and build relationships that feel more connected, fulfilling, and aligned with who you are.

If you’re considering therapy but aren’t entirely sure where to begin, we can start by talking about what’s bringing you in and what you would like to be different. You don't need to have the answers before you begin.