Communication and relationship science for real-life messiness.
Evidence-based coaching, consulting, training, and expert witness services.
Hi! I’m Dr. Jennifer Guthrie, but you can call me Jenny.
I’m a communication & relationship scholar, trauma-informed victim’s advocate, and coach who has dedicated 15+ years to understanding the full continuum of human connection. Whether you are navigating healthy growth, complex relationship troubles, or the realities of abuse, I provide the evidence-based tools and practical advocacy to help you find your way through.
I’ve researched it, studied it, and lived it. By blending academic rigor with a holistic approach to relational safety and wellness, I’ve helped thousands of people identify relationship patterns, regain their sense of power, and magnify their strengths. I’m here to help you untangle the fray and move toward a healthier, more empowered version of your life.
→ Individual Coaching
→ Consulting & Training
→ Expert Witness & Case Consultation
Services: Individual Coaching & Organizational Consulting & Training
See below for services overview or visit Coaching or Consulting & Training for specifics.
The best predictor of the quality of our lives is the quality of our relationships.*
Relationships shape our wellbeing, our sense of safety, and our ability to grow.
But most of us were never taught how to navigate the complex "gray areas": how to understand shifting patterns, manage conflict, or recognize when a dynamic has moved from healthy to harmful.
When communication breaks down, it can be hard to trust your own perspective. Whether it's a subtle loss of connection or the presence of power and control, you deserve support and help making a roadmap.
Through the Fray exists to support that sense-making.
My work focuses on how communication patterns shape your life — from everyday challenges to deeply unhealthy dynamics — and how understanding those patterns creates:
Clarity: Seeing the "why" behind the "what."
Options: Breaking cycles that no longer serve you.
Choice: Reclaiming your agency and your voice.
One Mission.
Better Communication. Safer Relationships.
In a world shaped by conflict, harm, and misunderstanding, my goal is simple: to help people build healthier ways of communicating, relating, and creating safety in their relationships and communities.
Drawing on 20 years of experience in research, teaching, coaching, and advocacy, I provide the practical tools you need to untangle complex dynamics and strengthen authentic connection.
Three Paths.
Communication & Confidence
For individuals and leaders who want to speak up, stand out, and lead with authority.
Public Speaking & Presence:
Overcoming speech anxiety and nailing everything from writing to delivery
High-Stakes Moments:
Interview prep
Resume & cover letter strategy
Networking tips
How to be an effective leader
Help figuring out a career path
Relationship Health & Resilience
For navigating the "messy middle" of human connection, from home to the office.
Conflict Navigation:
Practical tools for difficult conversations
Pattern Recognition:
Identifying why you feel "stuck" in the same cycles at home or work
Boundaries & Self-Trust:
Learning how to set firm limits and maintain your agency
Secure Attachment:
Building emotional intelligence and practicing more secure connections
Team Dynamics:
Building inclusive, ethically grounded communication that reduces destructive conflict.
Interpersonal Safety & Advocacy
Expert, trauma-informed support for navigating power, control, and recovery.
Abuse Recovery:
Untangling the confusion of gaslighting, coercion, and manipulation to reclaim your identity
Trauma-Informed Skills:
Training for organizations and individuals on the effects of trauma and survivor/victim-centered practice
Naming the Experience:
Expert help making sense of complex, unhealthy, or controlling dynamics
Expert Witness Services:
Specialized consultation and testimony for legal cases involving domestic violence.
For nearly two decades, my work has focused on one throughline: how relationships shape our lives.
As a professor and researcher, I studied the "dark side" of communication (and the “bright side”!) and gender-based violence. That work has been published in academic journals and used to train legal professionals, but my deepest understanding comes from the hundreds of survivors who have shared their stories with me.
At the heart of Through the Fray is a simple belief: when you have better tools and a deeper understanding of dynamics, healthier and safer relationships become possible. I’m a "relational nerd" committed to helping you build those systems from the inside out.
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Overcoming anxiety about public speaking - from writing to presentation
Strengthening everyday communication (clarity, confidence, presence)
Improving business communication, group interaction, and teamwork
Navigating difficult conversations at work and home
Identifying and expressing authentic voice
Struggling with confidence, self-trust, or overthinking
preparing for an important moment of visibility — a speech, presentation, interview, or leadership role
learning communication skills regarding difference & being inclusive
Building communication practices that reduce destructive conflict
Conduct ethically grounded, people-centered research
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Navigating conflict at home or work
Recognizing unhealthy communication patterns
Building healthy relationship skills
Managing emotional intensity in conflict
Setting and maintaining boundaries
Developing self-esteem and relational confidence
Practicing more secure connections & attachments
Feeling stuck in unhealthy or confusing relationship patterns
Building emotional intelligence
Providing effective support for others
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Understanding the dynamics of abuse (coercion, manipulation, power/control)
Supporting survivors through abuse recovery
Naming and making sense of experiences
Untangling gaslighting, coercion, and manipulation
Reclaiming confidence & identity after unhealthy, abusive, or controlling relationships
Developing support systems and healing strategies
Understanding communication patterns that make us feel stuck & practicing healthier patterns
Learning trauma-informed interviewing and communication
Understanding the effects of trauma on victims
Improving organizational responses to interpersonal violence
Now I’m a full-time relational nerd dedicated to helping you build a healthier, safer system from the inside out.
I’m grateful for the trust others place in me to hold space for their story.
I am honored to witness your resilience and walk this path with you.
What People are Saying
*Shared with permission!
I turned to Jenny for help during a challenging transition in my career and personal life. Jenny's guidance and support helped me understand alternative possibilities and new ways to understand where and why I felt "stuck." Her expertise in communication makes her both an outstanding listener and a creative, collaborative thinker. Being coached by Jenny gave me a newfound confidence and perspective on what was possible. -C
By week one, she made me feel safe and comfortable in my vulnerabilities and gave me the tools to be confident in them. She altered my perspective to be hopeful for the future and not be fearful. She has a way about her that can calm you in any chaos. She constantly reminded me that I was capable and taught me the tools how to be, through her brilliant teachings. I wouldn’t be as successful as I am in my job today, if it wasn’t for what Jenny has taught me. -J
Jenny's work is rooted in her focus on caring for people beyond their roles and responsibilities. Her role as both an educator and an advocate helps people feel empowered, and this is a feeling that is needed in the world more than ever before. -G
During the most destabilizing period of my life, Jenny was a steady, grounded presence. Coming out of a difficult marriage, I had lost a sense of myself — my confidence, my clarity, and at times even my emotional footing. She helped me separate fear from fact, regain perspective, and rebuild from a place of strength and calmness rather than reaction. What stood out most was her ability to combine empathy with accountability. She didn’t just validate how hard things were — she helped me see where I still had agency. Through her guidance, I learned how to regulate my emotions, set healthier boundaries, and show up more calmly and consistently for my children. I’m in a fundamentally different place today — steadier, more self-aware, and more confident in who I am. I’m deeply grateful for her role and support in that transformation. -K
Why “Through the Fray”?
Because life gets messy.
Relationships get tangled.
Communication gets strained.
But we grow through the fray, not around it.
My work is about helping you move forward with clarity, confidence, and expert support.
You don’t have to walk it alone.
Ready to Begin?
Whether you’re rebuilding after harm, navigating complicated relationships, or simply ready for healthier patterns, you deserve support rooted in clarity, compassion, and expertise.
Ready to start? Book a free 20-minute clarity call.