Jennifer Hanchey is a Licensed Professional Counselor. She earned her master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Richmont Graduate University, where she specialized in trauma-informed care.
With a bachelor’s degree in English from Furman University, Jennifer spent many years as a writer and editor, working on freelance projects for books and magazines and in the corporate world, turning legal jargon into communication all employees could comprehend.
Her life changed in 2009 when she adopted her daughter from China. What followed was a transformational period of personal growth. Overwhelmed, Jennifer turned to counseling for help. The impact of early life trauma was so apparent in her daughter that Jennifer wondered if she was capable of parenting into such great need. Over time, however, she saw that consistent emotional attunement can, indeed, heal deep wounds.
After this intense period of motherhood, Jennifer decided that instead of spending her days at the keyboard, she’d rather be working with women and couples who find themselves stuck in hard places.
She had seen in her daughter the innate need we all have for a safe other who will predictably come when we cry. She sees this same need clearly in the couples and individuals she counsels. We never outgrow our need for human connection and responsive care.
Trained in Emotionally Focused Therapy with Michael Barnett and Amanda Carver, Jennifer finds great joy in seeing couples find a closer bond than they’ve ever experienced. She’s helped couples repair significant ruptures, like affairs and betrayals, but has also guided couples who’ve drifted apart or become enemies back to a place of soft attunement.
Jennifer is also certified as Prepare/Enrich Premarital Counselor and a Positive Discipline.
Clients appreciate Jennifer’s empathetic heart and educated insight. It gives her joy to think that all she’s walked through in life has prepared her to be with others in their times of pain, uncertainty, and disappointment. Jennifer affirms all people, regardless of race and ethnicity, gender, sexuality, ability, religion, and social class.
Specialties
- Couple Intimacy & Conflict
- Marital Transition to Parenthood
- Emotional & Physical Affairs
- Dating & Pre-marital Concerns
- Adolescent Individual & Family Struggles
- Adoption & Fostering
- Troubling Childhood Experiences
- Adjustment & Life Transitions
- Loneliness, Disconnection & Loss
- Anxiety, Mood Swings & Stress
Qualifications
- Master of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy, Richmont Graduate University
- Trauma Certificate, Richmont Graduate University
- Licensed Professional Counselor, Georgia Composite Board
- Certified Prepare/Enrich Premarital Counselor
- Certified Positive Discipline Instructor
- Member, International Centre for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy (ICEEFT), Atlanta Center for EFT, and the Licensed Professional Counselors Association of Georgia
- Verified by Psychology Today
You may contact Jennifer directly at jen@heartlinkcounseling.com or 404-507-2163.