About me

Jennifer Trinkle, Berkeley teen and young adult psychotherapistHello! I’m Jennifer Trinkle, a Berkeley-based psychotherapist who works mainly with teens and young adults. I also see a small number of kids.

 

If you are struggling with depression or bipolar disorder, are paralyzed with anxiety, can’t seem to shake feelings of loneliness, or worry there is something fundamentally wrong with you (spoiler alert: there isn’t!)–you are one of my people!

 

Being present as my clients bloom into full, healthy humans who know and deeply accept themselves is profoundly meaningful to me. There is nothing more gratifying than to be a support and witness to folks discovering their intrinsic self-worth and connecting to friends, family, and the world. Part of this is because of my own experiences of disconnection and loneliness in high school, college, and beyond. I struggled for far too long without support and now know it doesn’t have to be that way.

Grounded and calm

Clients tell me I am a calm, accepting, and kind presence. I can handle emotional intensity as well as numbness, can hold space for hopelessness while also making room for hope. While I always keep safety in mind, I am comfortable discussing suicidal ideation and self-harm.

Experience with grief

I often work with grieving teens and young adults, another place where my childhood experience of loss informs my work and training. I am also the author of 52-Week Grief Journal:  Prompts and Reflections for Navigating Loss, a book for adults who want to process their grief in a structured journal format.

On a personal note

I live in the East Bay in a house where the animals–three cats and two dogs–outnumber the humans, and I am the mother of an almost-fully grown human. Before I became a therapist, I  completed the Chef’s Training Program at the Natural Gourmet in New York, with an externship at Greens in San Francisco. And before that I was a librarian with the U.S. Senate. Whipping up vegetarian meals, hiking the wild hills and waterside trails of the San Francisco Bay Area, and writing are some of my favorite things, but spending quality time with my family is truly the best.

Professional details
  • Psychotherapist since 2013, in private practice since 2018
  • Two-year post-graduate clinical fellowship at Ann Martin Center, with in-depth training on psychodynamic, relational, often play-based work with children, teens, and young adults, including supporting parents
  • Former volunteer with Alameda County Crisis Support Services, a crisis hotline connected to the National Suicide and Crisis Hotline
  • Deeply versed in attachment theory and practice
  • In the process of becoming trained as a nutrition therapy specialist, with a focus on learning how diet affects mental health
Contact me

Interested in learning more or want to schedule an initial consultation? Use my secure contact form or email me directly. My online portal shows my current openings, most of which are before 3pm. You can also schedule an appointment via the portal.