Jill Howard

Biography

Qualifications & Experience

I have a Master’s in Social Work (MSW) with a concentration in Children, Youth, and Families (Clinical) and a Bachelor of Social Work degree (BSW) with a concentration in Hospice/Gerontology, both from the University of Southern California.

• I am trained in a number of other areas, including:
• Trauma Focused Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
• Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE)
• Boundary issues
• Domestic violence
• Motivational interviewing

I also have experience working as a Short Term Therapeutic Residential Group Home Administrator, caring for youth in the system who have been severely neglected, abused, tortured, abandoned, trafficked, or have experienced extreme abuse and are unsafe in lower levels of care, as well as working with minor children who have severe, onset, or co-occurring mental health conditions.

My Call to Christian Counseling

I have been counseling informally for as long as I can remember. I am one of those people who is a crisis friend, a therapy friend, and a family resource finder, including working with those in end-of-life experiences. When my own children left for college, it provided an opportunity for me to become the woman I always wanted to be prior to having a family. I really feel this is the field I was meant to be in. When the opportunity came, God found a way for me to use this gift legitimately and formally. Thus far, it has surpassed all expectations I imagined in career satisfaction.

My desire to pursue this career choice stemmed from my love of mental health as a field and my love of serving people, as well as the desire to continue to expand my knowledge of the complexities of the human condition through clinical social work.

More About Me/On a Personal Note

I have three adult children. I love to learn through a variety of means. I also love reading and nature. I am very active, and I love to cook. I get great pleasure when those I cook for enjoy what I created. However, the biggest draw for me is the process. The process of cooking is one way that I practice self-care, as it allows me the time to decompress the stressors of the day.

Services and Specialities

Areas of Expertise/Specialties

• Abandonment and Neglect
• ADHD
• Aging and Geriatric Issues
• Anger Management
• Anxiety
• Bipolar Disorder
• Coaching
• Counseling for Children
• Counseling for Teens
• Codependency
• Depression
• Eating Disorders
• Family Counseling
• Grief and Loss
• Group Counseling
• Individual Counseling
• Infidelity and Affairs
• Online Counseling
• Personal Development
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
• Premarital Counseling
• Psychiatric Care Services
• Psychological Testing
• Relationship Issues
• Sex and Porn Addiction
• Sexual Abuse
• Spiritual Development
• Trauma
• Women’s Issues

Abandonment and Neglect

Abandonment and neglect go hand in with shame, attachment, self-blame, and deep-seated issues of self-worth. A path to addressing these issues is to uncover the progression and origin. With avoidant attachment, for example, individuals become stringently self-reliant, prefer to deal with issues on their own, and do not like to ask for help or talk about having problems. To avoid feeling shame or guilt, a variety of behaviors manifest which are maladaptive in relationship building and sustaining. Together we will take an inventory to shed light on the origin of the difficulties you are experiencing.

Women’s Issues

Women’s issues are complex. This complexity comes from many directions: parents, spouse, teachers, coaches, media, television, employment, law, politics, physically, introspectively, and explicitly. Freedom is felt through safety. This is not to say only being safe from crime or a physical threat, though that is a component. Safety within the expression of emotion, desires, ideals, and fears. How do we recognize this manifestation which promotes negative self-talk that erodes away our confidence and sense of agency? Together we will explore the issues that are weighing you down and find solutions to help you thrive at this stage of your life and beyond.

Counseling for Teens

Teens can experience a sense of powerlessness relative to adults, either by culture or familiar dynamics, or by indirect adult behavior such as divorce or substance abuse. What happens in adolescence when powerlessness is experienced? The feelings can be internalized by the adolescent. These negative feelings can also occur from rejection by peers, previously formed by the ideal of the parent, or by having feelings of inadequacy due to perceived societal norms and media influence. Teens can then experience shame, anxiety, depression, because solutions are not sought from external resources which would lead to a healthy emotional regulation. Internalizing depletes the adolescent’s energy and engagement with environment. As a teen counselor, I help teenagers and adolescents sort through their feelings and emotions and develop healthy ways to cope within their circumstances, with God’s help.

Trauma

Trauma removes our feelings of safety and security by introducing fear and uncertainty. Over the course of time, these feelings decrease in quantity and duration. We experience triggers which can cause a re-experiencing of the trauma(s). The brain holds so many memories; this trigger could be one or more of thousands of memories. Together we will explore what you were doing when you started to feel unsafe or insecure and find ways to help you process the trauma in healthy and productive ways to experience complete healing and recovery.

Aging and Geriatric

Caregiving for an ailing spouse is very difficult. It can be exhausting and without reprieve. Solution focus interventions can help to separate the person from the ailment. Together in session we will discuss the challenges you have experienced and work to find viable solutions to give you some reprieve and the support you need.

Payment and Forms

Sessions: I offer 53-minute sessions. Sessions can be held more than once per week, weekly, or every other week. Scheduling options are discussed in greater detail during your Risk-Free Initial Session.

Availability (by office location):

• Spokane – Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday

Fees: I offer a Risk-Free Initial Session for Individuals and Families looking to pursue counseling with me. Please note that there is a fee for the Risk-Free Initial Session as it is a clinical hour and reimbursable to most insurance companies, but if you choose not to reschedule and continue therapy after the initial session the entire fee for the session will be waived. For ongoing treatment the full fee per session is required at the time of service.

Insurance: As a Clinical Social Worker (ACSW), most insurance companies will reimburse for a portion of my services (as an Out of Network Provider). Please consult with your insurance provider as to whether they specifically cover adolescents, individuals and couples.

Receipts/Statements: In the event you require a printed or digital receipt, I will provide receipts for personal use, insurance reimbursement, Flex Spending Accounts (FSA), and Health Savings Accounts (HSA).

Payment options: Cash, Check, or Credit Card (Visa, MasterCard, Discover, & American Express). A fee of up to 3.7% plus $0.15 per transaction will be added for credit card payments.