Jennie Marie Battistin, LMFT

Maybe you are feeling uncertain because you have never been to a therapist or your last experience left you doubting that therapy can help. I believe something brought you to this website today. This may be the moment you begin to understand yourself and your life in new ways that will help you grow and heal.

• Do you feel like no one understands your pain?

• Do you feel emotionally distraught and unsure how to heal?

• Do you need a safe place to express your feelings?

• Have you lost joy and happiness?

• Are you feeling stuck in life without purpose or direction?

• Are you struggling in a relationship?

• Are you dealing with a break-up of a relationship?

• Would you like to enhance your communication skills?

• Do you want to learn new coping strategies for depression?

• Do you want to reduce panic attacks and cope better with anxiety?

• Would you like to improve family dynamics?

• Do you feel like your teen is out of control?

My therapy practice is focused on individuals, couples, and teenagers struggling with relationships, life stages, overcoming trauma, and mental health issues that can affect interpersonal communications, relationships, and living life to the fullest.

I am committed to helping my clients understand themselves and achieve their goals. My style is directive, interactive and collaborative.

I get excited about helping couples and individuals increase their capacity to make their next conversation better, heal from past wounds, navigate conflict with a solvable approach and develop a happy, fulfilling, and stable life.

I graduated with a Bachelor’s in Psychology with Summa Cum Laude honors from Woodbury University and a Master’s in Clinical Psychology with Cum Laude honors from Pepperdine University. 

I have completed additional training beyond my Master’s degree including: Level 3 Practicum Training in Gottman Method Couples Therapy, Gottman Leader training in the Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work, Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT), Prepare and Enriched Certified Couples Therapist training, Parental Reunification Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Training, Cognitive Behavior Training, Solution Focus, Trauma-Informed Therapy, Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy, EMDR and Mindfulness Skills.

I enjoy the process of educating and teaching. I am a supervisor for Master’s Psychology students completing their final year of clinical experience. I frequently lecture at middle and high schools on self-esteem, stress management, social skills, and Mindfulness skills.

I am the mother of grown children, author of two books, dozens of articles, and a frequent media consultant.

Psychedelic Psychotherapist

I have completed a 1-year fellowship to become certified in Psychedelic Medicine. My certification was focused on Psychedelic Assisted Psychotherapy with psychedelic medicines such as, Ketamine, Psilocybin, Bufo 5-MeO-DMT, Ayahuasca, San Pedro (Mescaline), Peyote, LSD and MDMA. I completed the fellowship and certification examination during the 2021/2022 cohort through the prestigious Integrative Psychiatry Institute. Psychedelic Assisted Psychotherapy can help reduce or eliminate anxiety, treatment resistant depression, assist in recovery from substance abuse/dependence, and provide a significant reduction in PTSD symptoms when monitored by trained professionals.

My Journey as a Therapist

I have 20 years of experience in the field of psychology. In addition to my educational and clinical background as a marriage family therapist, my experience includes two decades of working as a lay counselor for various organizations. I have facilitated support groups with couples in premarital and marriage counseling, individuals healing from divorce, and families navigating life-stage challenges. This provides an experience that is more comprehensive than just a Bachelor’s and Master’s in psychology and offers unique perspectives and valuable insights beyond the traditional classroom setting. 

My quest to professionally help began in high school in the 1980s as a peer-to-peer counselor, then as a drug and alcohol counselor and a pre-med student in the early 1990’s. In 1996 I took a position as a patient surgical coordinator specifically working as a health care advocate for individuals struggling with bipolar disorder, depression, and anxiety that impacted their ability to tolerate surgical procedures and recovery. 

In 2000 I held a position as a department administrator at UCLA Medical Center overseeing health care advocacy and patient counseling for transplant services. In 2002, my focus shifted toward working with women’s health issues, particularly women struggling with postpartum depression and depression during menopause. In 2009, I began working with teens on high school campuses, and the following year began working primarily with individuals struggling with anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorders. I established Hope Therapy Center in 2014.