Jennifer C. Sumerlin, PsyD, MFT

In therapy it all begins with effective communication and ironically, the key to good communication lies in the art of being silent. I believe that communication is a foreign language in and of itself where one must first learn the basics and be able to translate before speaking to others. I love helping my clients grasp this “language” in hopes of being able to have a conversation without words or actions that can be grossly misinterpreted.
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I hold a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from the College of St. Elizabeth, in Morristown, NJ, as well as a Master of Science degree in Marriage & Family Therapy from Seton Hall University in South Orange, NJ. and a Doctorate in Counseling Psychology with an emphasis on Social Justice.
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I consider my approach to be integrative, comprising of multigenerational, strategic, and structural theories. I utilize play therapy mainly with children and adolescents, genograms/family trees, in addition to role playing with families and couples. I also incorporate cognitive behavioral as well as psychoanalytic and psychodynamic theories into my theoretical orientation. In addition to working with individuals, couples, and families, I also facilitate a Women’s Empowerment group as well as implementing anger management/coping skills and triggers in individual therapy and parenting skills for individuals and couples who are looking to learn additional skills by way of increasing awareness and understanding with respect to their children, more specifically emotions and their effect on a child’s behavior.