Jenny’s Background

I’m a communication expert generally (like writing and public speaking), but my speciality is relationships. I’m a social scientist who also draws from sociology, philosophy, psychology, or any place with great info to take a holistic view at all things relationships. I study, teach, coach, and train about how we relate to ourselves, our relational partners (romance, friends, family), our work associates, and even the public. And now, I’m a once tenured professor turned professional, full-time helper. As a grad student at the University of Kansas studying relational health, I started collaborating with a Domestic Violence Shelter, a Rape Crisis Center, and an Addiction Treatment Center to help them bridge their services and better help those experiencing the co-occurring issues and traumas. (Check out my research here!) This ignited my passion for learning how to help people struggling with relationships at any point on the continuum: I can help make healthy, happy relationships even stronger, and I can support those experiencing abuse make sense of their situations and seek resources/paths for safety, health, and wellness.

My research specialties are issues related to intimate relationships, gender and sexuality, conflict, supportive communication, and what’s called “the dark side” of relationships. (Yes, insert Star Wars joke.) This means that I study problematic aspects of communication (aggression, violence, toxic behaviors) but also how we can use our strengths to overcome struggles. 

I bridge theory and practice to create tailor-made solutions. I’ve published award-winning research and worked with interdisciplinary teams and community members to combat sexual harassment and assault, domestic violence, and homelessness. I have over 200 hours of training and hundreds of hours of service in working with people who have experienced trauma, violence, and abuse. I’ve helped over 1,000 survivors seek safety, health, and wellness. I’ve taught, mentored, and coached hundreds of students, faculty, and staff across three Universities and received 7 awards for teaching and mentoring. I’ve conducted dozens of trainings and workshops in conflict management to diverse organizations, and I’ve helped nonprofits and for-profits streamline communication and provide better services to their communities. I’ve also trained government agencies regarding how they can better support survivors and do their jobs in trauma-informed ways. I’ve also helped legal teams with their cases geared toward getting false charges for survivors dropped.

Overall, I’m grateful for the privilege to be a full-time nerd who gets to use everything I’ve learned to help people have more fulfilling personal and professional lives. I’m here to provide information, tools, and support to empower people to get through the fray - whatever that struggle may be.