About Jill
ABOUT JILL
Jill received her B.A. from the University of California at Santa Barbara, and a Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology from the University of Oregon in 1981.
After working with adolescents in residential treatment facilities as a clinical staff worker, Activities Director, and Manager, she received intensive training in Structural Family Therapy while working at Lutheran Social Services.
In 1986, she joined the staff of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine in Spokane, which specialized in Eating Disorders. While there, she conducted the therapeutic component of the Inpatient and Intensive Outpatient programs of their Eating Disorders Program at Deaconness Medical Center.
In 1988, she married and moved to Sandpoint, where she opened a private practice. Jill was originally licensed as a Marriage and Family Therapist in Washington State, and subsequently became a Licensed Professional Counselor and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in Idaho. In 1987, she obtained certification in EMDR, a method designed to treat victims of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. More recently, she earned certification in Brainspotting, a therapeutic technique designed to work with various types of trauma.
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She began studying the Gottman method in 2000, and after rigorous training, received her certification as a Gottman Couples Therapist in 2005, and has received additional Gottman certifications as a Workshop Leader as well as a Presenter for Level 1 Therapist Trainings.
In 2014, Jill started the certification process in Emotion-focused Couples Therapy. She has done intensive trainings in EFT, and has assisted in training other therapists. Her method incorporates the research-based techniques from Gottman and EFT, offering a unique depth and breadth to couples work.
Pursuing her lifelong passion for Dance, she became certified as a NIA instructor in 2005, received Zumba certification in 2009, adding Zumba Toning, and teaches Zumba Gold weekly. Jill also has been performing individually-created wedding ceremonies since 1996. For more information on her work as a Wedding Officiant, click here.
She has been happily married for 33 years, and parenting her three children has been her deepest pleasure. She is currently in the process of writing a book about parenting.
“Focus on what’s right in your relationship rather than what’s wrong.”
— John Gottman