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Jenny Smith Jenny Smith

Restoring Connection — Couples Counseling for Military and Veteran Families

Struggling with disconnection, miscommunication, or the emotional toll of military life? At JoyFeel Therapy in Santa Rosa, we specialize in couples counseling for military and veteran families, helping partners reconnect after deployment, manage reintegration stress, and heal from trauma together. Our military-informed therapy services offer compassionate, evidence-based support tailored to the unique challenges service members and their spouses face. Whether you're dealing with long separations, post-deployment tension, or shifting roles at home, our Santa Rosa counselors are here to help you restore trust, strengthen communication, and rebuild your relationship with purpose.

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Jenny Smith Jenny Smith

Breaking the Silence — Men’s Mental Health in the Military Community

Breaking the Silence: Why Speaking Up Matters

For generations, men in the military community have been taught to “push through”—to suppress emotion, remain stoic, and place duty above personal well-being. But the emotional toll of military service doesn’t disappear with discipline. Left unaddressed, it can manifest as chronic anxiety, rage, depression, or even self-isolation long after deployment ends.

At JoyFeel Therapy, we believe real strength lies in confronting what’s beneath the surface. Our Santa Rosa counseling center is a space where military men—active-duty or veteran—can lay down the emotional armor and receive the support they deserve. Whether you’re facing flashbacks from combat, struggling to reconnect with loved ones, or simply feeling lost in civilian life, you are not alone. Healing is possible—and it starts by speaking up.

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Trauma, EMDR Jenny Smith Trauma, EMDR Jenny Smith

Healing Childhood Trauma with EMDR Therapy

They say that your past shapes you into the person you are today. Your core memories, relationship with your caregivers, and earliest experiences help to mold you into the person you become as an adult. Unfortunately, this includes the good and the bad. For example, childhood trauma can leave deep, emotional scars that can stay with you into adulthood.

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Healing From Narcissistic Abuse With EMDR Therapy

Narcissistic abuse is a type of emotional abuse that is inflicted by a person who has narcissistic traits or narcissistic personality disorder. This type of emotional abuse involves a lack of empathy, manipulation, and exploitation. Narcissists will use tactics like shifting blame, love bombing, or gaslighting as a way to gain control over their victims.

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EMDR, Mental health, Therapy, Telehealth Jenny Smith EMDR, Mental health, Therapy, Telehealth Jenny Smith

Why EMDR Heals Trauma Faster Than Talk Therapy?

No two people in the world are exactly the same. If two people go through the same traumatic event, it doesn’t mean that they’ll benefit from the same types of treatments. Personal preference and the severity of the trauma play a role in the final decision. Both talk therapy and EMDR are highly researched and effective forms of treatment.

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EMDR, Mental health, CBT, Therapy Jenny Smith EMDR, Mental health, CBT, Therapy Jenny Smith

EMDR vs. CBT: Key Differences & Choosing What’s Best

No two people in the world are exactly the same. People will always have overlapping interests and commonalities, but who we are as individuals is unique and specific, even beyond our DNA. Everyone has their own hopes and dreams, wants and needs, hobbies and interests. Their personalities, past events, and the forward trajectory of their life will look different.

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Anxiety, Trauma Jenny Smith Anxiety, Trauma Jenny Smith

How Reparenting Yourself Can Ease Anxiety

Reparenting is a therapy approach that’s rooted in the idea that many of the emotional wounds you carry into adulthood stem from unmet needs in childhood. The concept of reparenting is to consciously adopt a caring, nurturing, and compassionate attitude toward yourself — similar to how a loving parent would care for a child — to heal past trauma and ease feelings of anxiety.

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Relationships, Family Trauma Jenny Smith Relationships, Family Trauma Jenny Smith

Understanding Attachment Styles & Their Impact

An attachment style is the pattern of behavior in close relationships. It is significantly influenced by a person’s primary caregivers and how they were treated and cared for growing up. An attachment style can impact multiple areas of a person’s life, including their overall mental health and wellness, satisfaction in relationships, and social well-being.

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EMDR Jenny Smith EMDR Jenny Smith

Common Myths About EMDR Therapy Debunked

EMDR is one of the many different psychotherapy options. It stands for eye movement desensitization and processing. EMDR is a therapy technique that assists individuals in processing traumatic memories and healing from any distressing life events or experiences.

It’s important not to let hearsay or these common misconceptions about effective treatment options prevent you from seeking the support you need and deserve.

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Trauma, Relationships Jenny Smith Trauma, Relationships Jenny Smith

How to Recover From Relationship Trauma?

Relationship trauma is a type of trauma that can occur in different relationship dynamics between family members, romantic partners, or in working relationships between coworkers. Relationship trauma typically comes from an unhealthy dynamic that involves abuse, bullying, threats, isolation, control, and gaslighting, just to name a few.

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Anxiety Jenny Smith Anxiety Jenny Smith

What Is Digital Anxiety and Its Effects?

Technology has completely reshaped how we interact with each other, perceive the world, and even how we understand ourselves. We’ve made incredible strides in medicine, education, media and entertainment, transportation, and retail. Connecting to the world is available at your fingertips.

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Social Anxiety, Anxiety Jenny Smith Social Anxiety, Anxiety Jenny Smith

Where Does Social Anxiety Come From and How do I Manage?

Certain social events can bring on feelings of uneasiness. If you’ve ever felt this way in your personal, school, or work life, you’re definitely not alone. Certain events like starting a new class, meeting a new friend or romantic partner, or giving a big presentation can give you that “butterflies in the stomach” feeling.

The longer that someone struggles with social anxiety without reaching out for property treatment, the more difficult it can be to treat.

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