Jamie Kaczmarek, LCSW

Clients With Whom
Jamie Works Well

Jamie specializes in supporting adolescents facing anxiety, depression, emotional overwhelm, and challenges with frustration tolerance and emotional regulation. She also works with those who experience neurodiversity, learning difficulties, social and emotional challenges, and executive functioning issues. 

Jamie helps students who may be treatment-resistant, stubborn, and rigid in their attempts to limit their world for a sense of control. She guides them in learning that expanding their world is not only okay but beneficial, offering tools and skills to manage anxiety. By supporting them in facing their challenges and offering choices, Jamie avoids meeting rigidity with rigidity and instead fosters a more flexible approach. Many students feel as though the world is against them and take steps to protect themselves. Jamie assists them in understanding social rules, fostering self-love, and finding ways to engage more fully with the world.

Jamie has extensive experience working with adolescents who have experienced trauma. She uses trauma-informed therapeutic approaches to help students process their experiences, build resilience, develop healthy coping strategies, and regain a sense of control and safety while fostering emotional growth and self-awareness. When working with parents, Jamie is transparent and honest, offering advice and challenges with a focus on understanding their child’s needs. She works from a place of empathy, helping parents to grasp what is happening with their child and how to support them effectively.

Education &
Prior Work Experience

Jamie earned her master’s degree in Clinical Social Work from the University of Utah and holds an undergraduate degree in Outdoor Recreation with a focus on Environmental Education from Indiana University. She has trained in leadership and team dynamics through the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS). Jamie is certified in both ADOS and PEERS and has over 24 years of experience in nature-based therapy, focusing on adolescents and families.

Jamie’s career has been deeply influenced by her belief in the healing power of nature. She has presented nationally on the benefits of therapy in natural settings and continually adapts her interventions based on current research. Jamie combines her personal experience with nature healing and her professional expertise to help students formulate solutions for their challenges.

Strengths

Jamie’s therapeutic style emphasizes building a supportive and nurturing environment through relationship development and play. She fosters a culture of flexibility and collaborative problem-solving. Jamie’s approach is centered around creating safe, nurturing spaces where clients can expand their horizons and improve their well-being.

Jamie incorporates Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), collaborative problem-solving, social thinking, and is certified in the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) and the Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS). She also brings her trusted clinical assistant/dog, Lewis, to work with her. Lewis has supported adolescents in nature-based treatment for over a decade and always welcomes pats and hugs.