Connect
To Top

Meet Jenifer Shott of Looking Glass Therapeutic Services in Lakewood

Avatar photo

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jenifer Shott.

Jenifer, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
When I was in my early 20’s, I had decided to stop pursuing a career as an actress after attending a year at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, an acting school in New York City, but I hadn’t yet decided what I wanted to do instead. I signed up to take a couple of online courses through Front Range Community College in Boulder, one of which was a Psychology 101 course. From the first chapter of the textbook for the class, I learned the story of Phineas Gage, who was working on building railroads in the mid-1800’s when an accident on the job shot a metal rod clean through his skull. Despite the grievous injury, Phineas survived, though his personality changed after the brain damage that was done, particularly in his frontal lobe. From that story I became hooked on learning about both psychology and neuroscience. When I began pursuing a degree in psychology a few years later, it quickly became clear to me that not only was I fascinated by the subject, but that the idea of helping and supporting people with their mental health was something that I needed to explore.

The passion I felt for the subject and for the work I wanted to do coursed through me like fire as I completed my undergraduate degree, graduating magna cum laude from the Metropolitan State University of Denver. The fire only burned brighter as I went deeper into my studies, and it continued to carry me through my graduate program at the University of Baltimore in Maryland. I began my therapist career as an intern for the school-based mental health program in Baltimore, which provides on-site counseling to kids in schools, working with adolescents in an inner-city middle school while completing my Masters. From this work, I was able to effectively learn how to navigate situations in which my experience of the world may be vastly different than my clients’, and develop skills in multicultural competencies, such as recognizing and examining privilege and biases.

Returning to Colorado after earning a Master of Science in Applied Psychology, I began working for a community mental health organization in Boulder, again in school-based therapy. With this agency, I was able to complete the thousands of hours of supervised experience required by the state of Colorado for all Licensed Professional Counselors. The work I did and the skills I learned in my time there were invaluable, as I was able to grow exponentially as a therapist through quality continuing education opportunities, superb supervision and guidance, exposure to other community assistance programs and dedicated professionals, and working in a diversity of populations, tasks, roles, and experiences. In addition to providing therapy and psychoeducation in the school-based role, I also had the unique opportunity to work with Boulder County’s Truancy Improvement Project, which takes a unique approach to school truancy by addressing the social-emotional needs of students and their families, rather than the more traditional court-sanctioned punitive measures. Supporting and working closely with parents of the students in the program, I was able to expand my therapeutic skills working with adults. Having been a truant student myself in high school, at Boulder High and later Centaurus High in Lafayette, it was very special for me to be able to work with this population and give back from a place of empathy and support.

I have always been the “counselor friend” in my social and family groups, both as a kid and as an adult, so when I began my education and career journey, it seemed likely that I would be well-suited to the role of therapist. In the four years, I have been practicing therapy, I have confirmed this to be true for me, and strongly believe that counseling and teaching about psychology are not simply interests, but my life’s calling. I am honored each and every time a client grants me their trust and I deeply respect their vulnerability. This is a harsh world sometimes, and having support, from friends, families, community, and professionals can make all the difference in how we are able to move through those challenges. Supporting folks when they reach out for help is one way I can contribute meaningfully to my community of fellow humans, and I am thankful for the many opportunities that are available for me to do so.

After obtaining my LPC in the Spring of 2019, I decided to leave the school-based program to pursue more traditional clinical work and begin the process of establishing a small business. In July of 2019, I proudly opened private practice! With a ton of support and encouragement from my friends and family, I have been able to start the next chapter of my career dreams, and I couldn’t be more grateful.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Currently, one of the biggest obstacles in establishing my private practice has been time. While I am seeing many positive things growing from the seeds I have planted in pursuit of achieving my dreams, I have learned that the seeds don’t often grow as quickly as I would like. Also, as a solopreneur, all of the responsibilities and tasks that are required to make this business work are entirely mine. Because I am still only human, I find myself often wishing I had more time available to get stuff done, or that I could clone myself so that I could do more in the time I have available. That said, however, I am learning that the more experience I gain in regards to running a small business, the easier and less time consuming things become. Like with all of the goals I have set for myself in life, such as getting two degrees, moving across country and back, and obtaining my LPC, I have found that the road to the goal is winding and full of obstacles, but progress will still be made and obstacles overcome as long as I keep putting one foot in front of the other, ask for help when I need it, express gratitude for the gains I have made, and constantly keep my eyes on the goal.

We’d love to hear more about your work.
My private practice is called Looking Glass Therapeutic Services, located inside of a metaphysical and healing center called Calling All Angels in Lakewood, CO. One of the things that sets my practice apart is that I am committed to providing not just therapy, but education. Through discussion groups, classes, and workshops, it is my goal to deliver valuable education services on a variety of psychological, social, emotional, behavioral, and relational topics. I strongly believe in the therapeutic power of knowledge and the empowerment that comes with making informed choices based on quality information. I absolutely love teaching and sharing my passion for psychology, and I hope that anyone who attends my education events feels inspired to learn more.

In addition to these education services, I am committed to providing psychoeducation to my therapy clients, as well as information on the client’s rights, the therapeutic process, community resources, and anything else that may be helpful for my clients. I work with adults and teenagers, particularly about anxiety, depression, and life transitions, and I am proudly LGBTQIA+ affirming. I am also highly knowledgeable about many subjects that are often misunderstood or are considered non-normative or taboo, such as non-monogamy (swinging, polyamory, open relationships, etc.), sexual kinks, BDSM, sex work, and other counter-culture practices, cultures, and identities. I believe one of my most powerful strengths as a therapist is my ability to quickly establish rapport and trust with my clients through genuineness, integrity, and empathy, and I welcome individuals from all walks of life who are seeking a supportive and open-minded therapist. My theoretical orientation is rooted in Existential Psychology and encompasses Humanistic, Feminist, and Multicultural Psychology practices. My approach to counseling is an integrative one, in which I pull from a variety of techniques and Evidence-Based Practices (EBPs) from many modalities to best serve each individual client’s needs.

I am currently running a discussion group called Consensual Non-monogamy 101 that meets the second Saturday afternoon each month. In January 2020, I will be launching a discussion group for parents and caregivers of gender diverse kids. As a Body Positivity activist and supporter of Health At Every Size (HAES), I will soon be launching a body positive, self-esteem education and discussion group. I am very excited about these educational opportunities, and I am always happy to hear suggestions from people about what classes or groups would be of interest down the road.

What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
The proudest moment in my entire career was obtaining my LPC from the state of Colorado. A full LPC license represents the culmination of years and years of work, earning the necessary degrees, studying for and passing the National Counselors Examination, gaining thousands of hours of supervised experience, furthering my education through additional training, and so much more. It was a long, difficult road to get there, but through hard work and dogged dedication, I accomplished one of my biggest life goals! And, by doing so, I was then able to experience the second proudest moment of my career so far: announcing that Looking Glass Therapeutic Services was open for business.

Contact Info:


Image Credit:
Chris McBride

Suggest a story: VoyageDenver is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.

Related Items

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

More in