Why I Do This Work: My Journey from Wounds to Wisdom

By Jennifer Starlight, LMFT | Mended Heart Family Counseling & Trauma Recovery Center

Specializing in EMDR Therapy, Complex Trauma, and Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)

People often ask me, “How did you get into trauma therapy?”

The answer is simple, but deeply personal:

Because I’ve lived it.

Because I’ve walked through darkness, betrayal, spiritual crisis, abandonment, and emotional abuse.

Because I know what it feels like to lose yourself, and what it takes to find your way back home.

🌪️ From Pain to Awakening

I didn’t choose to become a trauma therapist because it sounded interesting on paper. I chose this path because I know, firsthand, what it means to feel unseen, unheard, and unsafe, sometimes even in your own body.

I grew up in a dysfunctional home, witnessed abuse, and spent time in and out of the foster care system, experiences that left deep wounds around safety, love, and identity. As an adult, I faced divorce, single parenting, and periods of complete emotional and spiritual disconnection. I also experienced betrayal, infidelity, and gaslighting, wrapped in excuses and manipulation.

These weren’t just painful moments. They were soul-fracturing. But each experience became part of my awakening, part of the reason I now guide others through their own healing.

✨ Healing Isn’t Linear, But It Is Possible

What I know now is this: Trauma doesn’t just affect the mind. It affects the nervous system, the emotions, the spirit, and the very way we see ourselves in the world.

For many years, I looked for peace in external roles, caregiver, partner, achiever, but that peace didn’t last. It wasn’t until I began to go inward, through EMDR therapy, energy healing, and spiritual studies like A Course in Miracles, that I began to truly heal.

Healing isn’t a one-size-fits-all journey. It’s messy. It’s sacred. It’s slow at times, but it’s also deeply transformational.

💛 From Wounds to Wisdom

Today, I specialize in helping women and trauma survivors, especially those with Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) or recovering from narcissistic abuse, navigate their own healing journey with compassion and clarity.

What makes my work unique is that I blend clinical tools like EMDR, CBT, and positive psychology with intuitive, spiritual insight, always grounded in safety and client-centered care.

In my sessions, you’ll never be rushed. You won’t be pathologized. You’ll be welcomed as a whole person, even if you’re still remembering what that means.

Because your pain isn’t who you are. It’s what happened. And healing is how you remember your true Self.

🕊️ If You're Reading This...

You’re not broken, you’re becoming.

You deserve a space where therapy doesn’t feel clinical, it feels sacred, intentional, and transformational.

At Mended Heart Family Counseling & Trauma Recovery Center, I offer trauma-informed therapy that honors your story and supports your awakening. Whether you’re healing from abuse, dissociation, spiritual trauma, or just feeling lost, I’m here to walk with you, at your pace.

🌿 Ready to Begin?📍

Offering EMDR therapy, trauma counseling, and support for DID and narcissistic abuse recovery throughout California (via secure telehealth)

💛 Book a free consultation today and begin your journey from surviving to thriving.