Jennifer Chain
PhD
Licensed Psychologist
License Number PY60750684
President and Owner
You are successful by outward measures. You have built a meaningful career, people depend on you, and others see you as confident and capable. What they do not see beneath the surface is that you are struggling. You may be grappling with loneliness, overwhelm, self-doubt, imposter syndrome, or burnout.
You may strive for perfection and over-deliver for others yet you rarely feel satisfied, content, or happy with the outcome, with yourself, or with your life.
You may have helped others build their dreams but you are out of touch with what you want and desire.
Working harder, in the same way, has not gotten you closer to feeling connected, satisfied, or joyful. You have likely spent years pushing through exhaustion. These coping strategies may have helped you to survive at one point in your life, but they come at a high cost.
Many of the couples I work with are high achievers who have spent their lives solving problems through hard work, intelligence, and perseverance. Those strengths have served them well professionally, but relationships ask something different of us. You cannot outwork disconnection, reason your way through hurt feelings, or optimize your way into emotional intimacy.
Beneath criticism is often a longing to feel important to your partner.
Beneath defensiveness is the fear of failing someone you love.
Beneath withdrawal is often the hope of preventing conflict or protecting yourself from rejection.
When we understand the emotions and attachment needs underneath these interactions, the relationship begins to make sense.
I can be a mender of hearts, a catalyst for change, a guide to your inner world, and a peacemaker for your soul.
This transformational work is challenging but the journey is worthy. If you are ready to start the journey to create long-lasting change in your life and your relationships, I can help.
I am an active therapist. I won't simply listen and reflect what you say. I ask thoughtful and penetrating questions, notice patterns, gently challenge blind spots, and help you slow down enough to understand what is happening underneath your reactions.
Our work is insight-oriented, but insight alone is not the goal. We are working toward change that shows up in your relationships, your work, and the way you experience yourself.
We will identify the patterns that keep showing up in your life and even in therapy itself. We will pay attention to what unfolds between us in the room because those moments often reveal the patterns that are hardest to see on your own.
My approach to couples therapy is grounded in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), one of the most extensively researched and effective approaches for helping couples strengthen their relationship. Beyond communication techniques alone, we will look at the emotional and attachment needs that drive conflict beneath the surface.
My goal is not simply to reduce conflict, but to help you build a relationship where both partners feel emotionally safe, deeply understood, and able to turn toward one another during life's inevitable challenges. I will guide you in having conversations that you have wanted to have for years but haven't known how to begin.
Over the past 10 years, I have helped many individuals and couples break their negative cycles, move from survival to living with greater freedom, and build relationships where they feel seen, valued, and emotionally secure.
Clinical Specialties
High Achievers
Ambitious Women
High Functioning ADHD
Overthinkers
Perfectionism
Chronic Stress and Burnout
Achievement Addiction
Procrastination
Self-Sabotaging Behaviors
People Pleasing
Depression
Anxiety
Attachment Wounds
Anxious Attachment
Advoidant Attachment
Couples Counseling
Dating
Family Dynamics and Conflicts
Grief and Loss
Life Transitions
Fees
Phone Consultation |
15 minutes |
Free |
Individual Intake Session |
60 minutes |
$400 |
Individual Therapy Session |
60 minutes |
$370 |
Couples Intake Session |
60 minutes |
$400 |
Couples Therapy Session |
60 minutes |
$370 |
Public Speaking |
60 minutes |
$500 |
Professional Consultation |
60 minutes |
$400 |
|
I am an out-of-network provider and do not bill insurance directly. Many clients choose to use their out-of-network benefits for reimbursement, while others pay privately.
If you plan to use out-of-network benefits, I recommend contacting your insurance provider before our first session to ask about reimbursement for outpatient psychotherapy, either in person or online. I can provide the documentation needed for reimbursement claims.
You have the right to receive a "Good Faith Estimate" explaining how much your medical care will cost. Under the law, health care providers need to give patients who don’t have insurance or who are not using insurance an estimate of the bill for medical items and services. You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any non-emergency items or services. This includes related costs like medical tests, prescription drugs, equipment, and hospital fees.
Make sure your health care provider gives you a Good Faith Estimate in writing at least 1 business day before your medical service or item. You can also ask your health care provider, and any other provider you choose, for a Good Faith Estimate before you schedule an item or service. If you receive a bill that is at least $400 more than your Good Faith Estimate, you can dispute the bill. Make sure to save a copy or picture of your Good Faith Estimate.
For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate, visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises.
Bio
My path to becoming a psychologist began long before graduate school. I was born in China and grew up between my country of origin and Sacramento, California. As someone who has navigated multiple cultures, an interracial family, and my own mental health journey, I became fascinated by the ways our relationships, identities, and life experiences shape who we become.
I've always been drawn to understanding people beneath the surface. The word psychology comes from the Greek word psyche, meaning "soul," and that idea has stayed with me throughout my career. While I value research and evidence-based practice, I have always believed that therapy is ultimately about understanding the human experience, how we make meaning of our lives, how we carry pain, how we are transformed through adversity, and how healing becomes possible through authentic connection.
In my free time, I love to spend time with friends, explore nature, travel to new places, dance, ride horses, and make delicious food.
Education and Career
Before college, I served with AmeriCorps as a preschool teacher, a formative experience in my journey. I earned my bachelor's degree in Psychology from Smith College and my Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from the University of Oregon, where my research focused on multicultural identities and resilience. I have worked in university counseling centers, community mental health, residential treatment, integrated primary care, and private practice before founding Thrive for the People in Seattle in 2017.
Certifications and Trainings
- Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy Externship
- Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy Core Skills
- EMDR Part 1 & 2
Professional Affiliations
Washington Mental Health Counselors Association
Washington State Psychological Association
Selected Publications
- Sun, X., Hall, G.C.N., DeGarmo, D.S., Chain, J., & Fong, M.C. (2020). A longitudinal investigation of discrimination and mental health in Chinese international students: The role of social connectedness. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 1-17. doi: 10.1177/0022022120979625
- Hewitt, A. A., Watson, L. B., DeBlaere, C., Dispenza, F., Guzmán, C. E., Cadenas, G., Tran, A. G. T. T., Chain, J., & Ferdinand, L. (2017). Leadership development in counseling psychology: Voices of leadership academy alumni. The Counseling Psychologist, 45(7), 992–1016. https://doi.org/10.1177/0011000017740429
- Chain, J., Shapiro, V.B., LeBuffe, M.A., Bryson, A.M., & The American Indian and Alaska Native Advisory Committee (2017). Academic achievement of American Indian and Alaska Native students: Does social emotional competence reduce the impact of poverty? American Indian and Alaska Native Mental Health Research, 24(1), 1-30. http://dx.doi.org/10.5820/aian.2401.2017.1
- Chain, J. (2016). A multilevel analysis of student, family, and school factors associated with Latino/a parental involvement in the middle school learning environment (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). University of Oregon, Eugene, OR.
- Hall, G. C. N., Martinez, Jr., C. R. Tuan, M., McMahon, T. R., & Chain, J. (2011). Toward ethnocultural diversification of higher education. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 17(3), 243-251. doi: 10.1037/a0024036
Start Therapy in Seattle, Washington
If you are ready to begin the challenging but worthy work of changing your patterns and reaching your full potential, we are ready to help. To start your therapy journey, follow these simple steps:
02
Meet Your Therapist
Meet with one of our talented licensed therapist or licensed psychologists
03
Start The Journey
Start your journey to healing and uncovering your most authentic self
Seattle Counseling Office
Our office is located in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle.
5306 Ballard Ave NW,
Seattle, WA
Can’t make it into the office? We also offer online therapy for your convenience.
Schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation to see if we are a good fit.
