Jenni Shea, Owner & Practice Lead
Clinical Standards, Innovation
Clinical Educator
Registered Psychotherapist
MA Counselling Psychology, B.Ed., B.A.(Hons)
AF-EMDR Therapist - Level 1, 2 & 3
(Parnell Institute, California)
IFS Therapist - Level 1 & 2
IFS - Stepping Stone
(Derek Scott)
CCTP I & II - Attachment/Complex Trauma
(Janina Fisher)
Hamilton Mountain Office & Online
Availability: Caseload full/waitlist full
Please share a bit about what you are looking for
Work with one of my skilled colleagues
Client Hours:
9am - 2pm
Monday, Tuesday
Fee for new clients: $235/hr
Community Spots (pro bono) are full
Working with me.
Welcome! I’m the Owner and Practice Lead at Making Space Psychotherapy. I specialize in working with complex trauma, relationships, and the lasting imprint of early attachment and relational experiences.
My clients are amazing people who invite me into their worlds to work on healing. Many are highly creative, high-achieving or entrepreneurial and have brilliant thinking parts. And my clients often come to me when they have tried other forms of therapy and are looking for something deeper or more effective.
I work with a limited number of clients at a time to support more specialized, depth-oriented trauma therapy. In our sessions my style is creative, kind and deeply caring. And in between sessions I spend significant time reflecting on our work, developing a deeper understanding of your experiences and how you process, and engaging in advanced consultation. All of this brings additional depth and perspective to the work we do together.
Clients often describe feeling lighter, more connected, with a renewed ability to be present in their lives. The most difficult moments that they initially brought into the space to work on end up feeling far away, and they are usually surprised to feel that way!
I primarily use Attachment Focused EMDR (AF-EMDR) supported by Parts work (Ego States, IFS). These are attachment-based, somatic approaches grounded in neuroscience that help access and process the deeper layers of experience that often don’t shift through insight alone.
You can expect active engagement (not just listening), a strong therapeutic relationship, and a process that is both supportive and gently challenging. The goal is not just about understanding, but creating meaningful shifts in how you experience yourself and others.
I have advanced training in AF-EMDR through the Parnell Institute in California, and I regularly consult with Dr. Laurel Parnell, who developed this model, and other experts in the field to support complex trauma and attachment/developmental repair. This allows me to bring a depth of care that is especially helpful for clients navigating early attachment wounds, C-PTSD, and experiences that may not have shifted with more traditional approaches.
To do this, we will move beyond talk therapy, work together to address what is hurting you and get you living more comfortably in your own skin.
As a trauma therapist, I am always considering your nervous system through a Polyvagal lens, and include Biopsychosocial check-ins so we are considering what is happening in all spheres of your life.
I also practice somatic psychotherapy, specifically using embodied countertransference or interoceptive awareness. This means that I often have a "felt sense" in the present moment of where you are feeling something (e.g. tightness in your chest or throat), and I can support you in your own awareness.
Many of the issues we talk about I understand through the work, careful study and my personal experiences as a human, partner and parent in this world. I work with my own system and parts too, and live that inner relationship every day.
All of your parts are welcome ... including the ones that giggle, get skeptical, block the process, take you out of the process, and swear. When you work with me you get to show up just as you are.
My Training
Too many courses to include here! Click here for a detailed list.
I continue to invest in my own skills and professionalism by completing hundreds of hours of comprehensive training and high quality consultation each year as I explore new ways to understand and support my clients.
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Level 3 AF-EMDR therapist participating in regular consultation directly with Laurel Parnell, PhD, Clinical Psychologist (Parnell Institute, California) and Cheryl Plaksco, Registered Psychologist
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Level 2 IFS Therapist with the IFS Institute with more than a dozen additional IFS trainings
Beyond my Clinical Work
In addition to my clinical work, I lead and oversee the standard of care and clinical innovation at Making Space Psychotherapy. I also provide case consultation, coaching and clinical training in trauma.
I previously spent three years supporting therapists new to learning IFS in Derek Scott's 4-month Stepping Stone Program and 4-Day Intensive Program at IFSCA.
I bring 16+ years prior experience working in various education roles (Consultant, Program Manager, Instructional Designer, Teacher and Counsellor) supporting adults and youth with learning and change. I led the end-to-end design, creation and administration of an online college with a federal regulatory body with two professional gateway programs, one in English and one in French. I moved on to lead, from concept to launch, the development of blended, online and face-to-face professional programs for universities, not-for-profits and private companies in Canada and the USA. Two of the programs I developed for staff at McMaster University were award winners with the Canadian Association for University Continuing Education (CAUCE).
Personal:
Trees and ocean waves make me happy. I swim daily during the summer. I love music, and most of my social gatherings turn into dance parties. I am a creative person who can write, design things and sew. I am also a lifelong sci-fi nerd and love BSG (if you know, you know). I am mesmerized by skateboard videos, and am always up for a game of cards. My most cherished time however is spent with my husband, child, corgi and ragdoll.
