Jennifer Fitkin, LCSW, CSW

Jennifer Fitkin is an LCSW and CSW with 20 years of clinical experience. She is based in Iowa and works with people facing stress, anxiety, parenting challenges, anger, low self-esteem, depression, addictions, relationship and family struggles, trauma and abuse, grief, life changes, and ADHD.

She trained at the University of Northern Iowa where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Master of Social Work. Over two decades she has worked in many settings, including residential treatment for girls, foster care and juvenile justice programs, and a men’s medium-security prison focused on rehabilitation and reintegration. Her roles have included therapist, clinical supervisor, deputy senior clinician, senior clinician, and clinical director of a residential program.

Her practice draws on several practical approaches. Jennifer often uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to identify unhelpful thinking and change behavior. She also uses Motivational Interviewing to support people who are ambivalent about change and Solution-Focused Therapy to build on what is already working.

She has additional training in Functional Family Therapy, Schema Therapy, and the Good Lives Model. Those experiences inform how she looks at attachment, family patterns, and recovery from addictions and trauma.

Outside of therapy she prioritizes physical activity and time outdoors. She teaches CrossFit Level 1 techniques and enjoys hiking, paddleboarding, backpacking, and camping. Her dog Boomer has appeared in past telehealth sessions and sometimes drops in during remote work.

How her approaches fit with remote work