Welcome to Connected Threads Therapy!

I’m Jenn. I’m a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in Virginia and South Carolina. 

But that’s not what most people are wondering or why you clicked on this post.

You want to know what makes me qualified to provide therapy to the Poly/Kink Communities. 

So let’s dive in! 

I’ve been a therapist since 2016 and for most of that time, I worked with people who were incarcerated or struggling with severe addiction. In 2022, I started working at a group therapy practice and wanted to build a clientele centered around couples or those in relationships because I really enjoy that work.

As it would happen, I found myself working with a number of people who identified as poly, both in individual and couples therapy. Once I learned the vocab and key terms that are important to know for poly/kink folks, I found that those sessions were some of my favorites each day. 

I love that what poly looks like from person to person can be completely different yet work really well for each relationship. 

I love it when someone comes to see me for a reason not even related to polyamory, but is seeking a space where every aspect of their life is accepted and understood. 

Helping people take on the challenge of exploring new aspects of their relationship, whether it be opening their relationship for the first time or navigating how to find the balance in caring for multiple partners is very fulfilling for me. 

As I contemplated starting my own practice, I thought about the clients I have enjoyed working with the most and could see myself working with well long-term. 

The answer was simple.

Some of the most fulfilling work I’ve done has been helping people navigate complex relationship challenges and coming out the other side with a clear vision for what they want for themselves and their relationships. Often, polyamory or kink relationships are complex and can be challenging.

Thus, Connected Threads Therapy was born!

What should you expect when we work together?

I think this is what most people are concerned about when sourcing a new therapist. They want to know what kind of person they could be signing up to share really personal, vulnerable things with. 

This is completely fair, so let me tell you what I’m like during our sessions. 

I take my time getting to know you.

I find great value in understanding the various components that make up your life because of course those things also impact your relationships. 

It matters to me what your hobbies are, what you did on your recent vacation, and what weird thing your mom did when you were a kid that you didn’t know was weird until you didn’t live with her anymore. 

Yes, this is the voice of experience and yes, you can ask me about it. 

I have a sense of humor and I use it.

A lot of things in life are funny, so we should be able to laugh about it. Also, I’ve gotten really good at what I’ll call Therapeutic Sarcasm.

“Oh wow, so that guy who we agreed three weeks ago was covered in red flags ended up being a creep and you had to block him? You don’t say!”

You can expect honesty and kindness to go together hand in hand.

It is equally important to me that you hear what really needs to be said and feel supported at the same time. I’m not doing you any favors if I don’t share information that I feel is important for change.

At the same time, it’s my job to make sure you know that even if something hard is on the horizon, we’re tackling it together and at a pace that feels comfortable. 

I will apologize if I mess up.

No one gets it right all the time, so let’s not pretend that therapists are any exception. If we’re moving at a pace that doesn’t feel right, tell me. If I interpret something you said incorrectly, I definitely want to know. I tell my clients all the time that no client has ever managed to hurt my feelings with their feedback and by the time you’re reading this, I’m certain that will still be true. 

This relationship is built on mutual respect and trust.

When I first start working with new clients, I let them know that if I ever ask a question they don’t want to answer, they don’t have to. The same works vice versa. I welcome questions, but if there’s something I don’t want to answer, I won’t.

I also assume while we’re working together that what you’re telling me is honest and true. If you have a different perspective than your partner, that’s totally normal and expected. But let’s be honest, it would be odd to pay to talk to someone and then lie to them. You could do that with your friends for free!

And lastly, for now, I want you to feel like our sessions are worth your time and money.

There are 168 hours in every week. We typically meet together for one of those hours. So what does that mean for the other 167? Thank you for asking!

Most of the time at the end of our sessions, I will challenge you and your partner(s) to come up with a small, measurable goal or skill you’d like to practice until we meet again. Our time together is really setting up the foundation for what you’re working on. It’s up to you to use what we discuss in your life outside of therapy.

We will always talk about what seems feasible for the time frame. I will always follow up the next session so it doesn’t feel like the goal was set in vain. 

And by the way, there’s no shame or disappointment if it just didn’t happen that week. We’ll talk through that too! 

If you’ve made it this far and you feel we could be a good fit, let’s make it happen! I’d love to have a free 15 minute call with you to discuss the details. 

Click here to schedule or visit connectedthreadstherapy.com for more information.