Today we’d like to introduce you to Jill Baumgartner.
Hi Jill, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
During high school, I received some intuitive downloads that I wanted to be a psychotherapist. At that time, I took my first psychology class, and my desire to serve continued to grow. I was always curious about human behavior, so I knew I wanted to learn the theories and the clinical interventions to help others.
The journey to becoming a licensed clinician is full of academics and experiential learning. Learning therapeutic skills and working with people was when real growth occurred. Clients were always teaching me new ways of relating to people, and I was building skills for empathy and compassion. People would often make comments about social workers not making a lot of money, but money was never why I was interested in the profession. I genuinely cared about people, and I hoped others could sense that. I wanted to explore the differences between someone’s resiliency and someone else’s continued struggles.
Social work can be a broad career in terms of working with different populations and in different settings. I have had professors, supervisors, and other supports on my career path. In college, I became curious about working with families because I observed a lot of children and teens struggling with mental health symptoms and family dynamics. As an undergraduate, I had a fantastic professor. She had a gift that made students feel valued and seen, even in a large class setting. Her teaching presence was so joyful and wise the entire class felt energized. I also enjoyed working with a family supervisor at an internship in graduate school—he had a certain level of clinical acumen that I always admired. His role as my supervisor was to be a guide, but I could feel that he was genuine when he asked for my input, and it was encouraging.
Over the years, I’ve worked in several mental health settings on both the East and West Coast. I’ve provided intensive therapy in people’s homes and in several outpatient settings. I’ve interfaced and collaborated with psychiatrists, probation officers, juvenile court, IEP teams, and county mental health professionals. I always enjoyed the wider lens that interagency involvement provided me as a clinician. I was able to observe how other disciplines advocated for clients at micro, mezzo, and macro level systems. I also became aware of certain mental health agencies that did their best to provide services but were chronically underfunded and needed to be restructured systemically. Working with others always made me curious about prevention and finding ways to prioritize emotional awareness as we develop. It’s encouraging to see there are now more positive trends to normalize mental health awareness.
One beauty of this profession is working with people, and another is that this field is never stagnant; it is always changing. New research and theories help professionals access deeper layers of consciousness to guide inner healing for others. It’s so fascinating to me, and it’s fun to be a part of.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
In the beginning, entrepreneurship was not smooth at all. I had a bit of a unique start. When I made the decision to leave my job and start my private practice, I was beaming with creative energy, and I was excited for a fresh chapter. At that time, I had done a lot of contemplation and planning, and I had decided to start my business on the east coast. It was a bit jarring to find some unexpected bumps in the road. The transition phase started to feel as if I was holding a balloon, and it suddenly popped. It was difficult when I started to question all my decisions.
I had an opportunity for deeper excavation, so I decided to do some soul-searching. I have several close friends who are previous colleagues, and they were a great sounding board of support for me. I know from my own experiences that I can’t always see things clearly during a transition. But if I take a panoramic viewpoint, I uncovered many shifts in personal power at that time. I decided to give myself some grace, and I changed my mind about where I wanted to practice. In hindsight, I realize that I would offer the same advice to others and normalize that it is always within our power to make changes.
Entrepreneurship had an interesting learning curve. I knew my strengths as a clinician, but it was different to find verbiage that felt authentic for marketing. It was important for me to create my own website; I wanted the freedom to update changes whenever I wanted. My website turned out to be a fun, creative project. I was also very used to working with clients one-on-one, so I had to expand my horizons and open myself up to networking events and collaborate with other healthcare professionals. Networking opportunities were more enjoyable than I had anticipated. There are also several business projects I’ve done over the years that have long-term benefits but require a great deal of patience in the short term. Patience has paid off a lot of the time.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
In my practice, I blend traditional talk therapy with practical skills for self-regulation. Talk therapy is a valuable tool, and I use it often to validate client experiences and explore beliefs and thought patterns. In addition to this, I also provide clients with a bottom-up therapy (limbic system) approach. This framework can provide a safe container for deep healing work and emotional regulation.
A large part of my therapeutic approach acknowledges that the body is always providing us with signals and that emotions are our intuitive guidance system. Several years ago, I decided to get trained in Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). Even with my background and training at the time, I was feeling inept as a clinician in terms of the spectrum of trauma and dissociation clients were presenting with. I was inspired to explore more of the mind-body connection in mental health and to offer clients a different modality. Everything came into alignment for me to offer EMDR and polyvagal skills in sessions. If clients are receptive, I tailor interventions to integrate experiences within the body and to acknowledge all parts of the Self, the self with a capital “S.”
I also provide therapy to all ages–working with adults, adolescents, children, and parents. My clinical background allows me to work with a wide age range of developmental stages. Adults often explore self-growth, adolescents are discovering identity and kinship, and children and parents can benefit from understanding anxiety, attachment, and behaviors. My practice offers skills for clients to manage chronic and acute mental health symptoms, explore personal growth, and identify family of origin dynamics and ancestral patterning. I am also passionate about supporting clients who are interested in spiritual wellness.
The therapeutic process can help with neuroplasticity and rewiring the brain. Therapy has different phases, and I feel it’s important for clients to move at a pace that feels comfortable and safe for the nervous system. This process is called titration and has completely transformed my practice. With clients who have prior experience with therapy, I am always curious about what has been beneficial for them, and which areas are still challenging. This knowledge helps me assess other interventions that may be helpful.
I would describe my therapeutic style as compassionate, knowledgeable, and down-to-earth. It’s important to me that clients feel valued and supported by my presence. It takes courage to be in therapy, and it’s important to honor their willingness to seek help. I also value providing some levity in the therapeutic process when appropriate. It can be important for cellular memory in the body to remember what it’s like to feel joy and to smile and laugh. In addition to individual therapy, I offer consultation to other professionals and workshops for anyone who may be curious about mental health awareness and practical coping skills.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
Over the years, I’ve learned that the definition of success can be broad. It’s common to measure success in quantifiable ways, but success is also about little node points of progress along the way. I may not always receive the answer I’m looking for, but knowing there is a different solution can be comforting.
Private practice is all-encompassing by providing direct client care and embracing an entrepreneurial role. I try to have clear and firm boundaries with when I work and what I choose to focus on, and I would be lost without lime green Post-it notes. Giving presentations takes courage and collaborating with other professionals is an authentic way to connect in the community. Throughout my career, I have developed confidence and professionalism to know that what I offer may not be the best fit for everyone, and that’s okay, too.
Part of this profession is that I am always learning as a person and as a clinician. If there is a difficult situation, I can ask myself what I can do differently next time, and I can choose to learn from it. I have also found value in peppering more optimism and joy into my career. In therapy, there is a Cognitive Behavioral (CBT) skill called a “reframe,” which can create a positive shift in perspective. I often use this skill with clients and it’s helpful for me as well. Thank you for this opportunity!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://jillbaumgartnerlcsw.com/
- Jill Baumgartner, Clinical Social Work/Therapist, San Diego, CA, 92108 | Psychology Today
- Jill Baumgartner – Psychotherapist In Private Practice – Jill Baumgartner, LCSW | LinkedIn
- Clinical Social Worker Therapist | San Diego, CA | Jill Baumgartner (beingseen.org)
