Her Research
Intentionally Improving Mental Health | The Science of Behavioral Transformation
One thing I approach differently...
Treat the root, not the symptoms.
And let's be clear...it's all INTERCONNECTED.
Mental Health | Emotional Regulation | Mindset | Human Behavior | Behavioral Flexibility | Limbic Imprinting | Resiliency | Beliefs | Discipline | Self-Organization | Self-Awareness | Critical Thinking | Mental Wellness | Emotional Intelligence | Leadership Development | Intention | Trust | Encoding | Developmental Trauma | Systems Theory
My Focus is Relational Trauma.
I study how early emotional wounds, often unacknowledged and unprocessed, leave lasting imprints on the nervous system. These adaptations, protective at first, can later disrupt behavior, health, relationships, and performance.
Masking, medicating, or working around these patterns creates an endless loop. Real change happens only when we address their origin.
My research goal is two-fold;
1. Healing the root systems of these adaptations so lasting transformation becomes possible.
2. Equipping parents, educators, coaches, and mental health professionals with language that helps others self-discover their adaptations and reduce their impact.
Because no matter the wound or when it was formed -
We are all capable of healing.
What unprocessed relational trauma leads to?
Unprocessed relational trauma is the perfect root system to create challenges like anxiety, depression, addictions, ADD/ADHD, behavior challenges, learning disorders, oppositional defiant disorder, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorders, PTSD, cPTSD and a myriad of other emotional, relational, familial, educational, legal, mental and work-related dysfunctions - all of which are often diagnosed as a standalone disorder (van der Kolk, 2005).
Who is trained in healing this space?
Although we would love to believe that licensed mental health practitioners (LMHP) are, the sad truth is - they are NOT. At the moment, trauma itself is a grey area for the majority of LMHPs (psychologists, therapists, psychotherapists, social workers and counselors) and physicians alike. The American Psychiatric Association (APA) has yet to define this space or formally train LMHPs (or anyone else) in it, leaving the public health in peril. We believe that 'trauma' is ill defined and incredibly subjective, yet still a widely used term in the world of mental health.
See 'Interesting Facts About Trauma' below.
Trauma isn’t what happens to you...it's what happens inside you, as a result of what happened to you - Dr. Gabor Maté
I've Been Honored To Study With The Best
Most people don't believe they have/had trauma anywhere in their life because they've completely normalized the presence of it. Trauma doesn't have to be a gigantic event. It can be the tiniest seed that grows the biggest tree that's now blocking the access you need to live your best life. Think about the size of a seed vs the size of what can grow from it.
Despite the high prevalence of societal trauma exposure and its link with a wide variety of psychopathology symptoms and human suffering, most mental health clinicians receive little systematic training in assessing or treating trauma (Henning, J. A., Brand, B., & Courtois, C. A. (2022). Graduate training and certification in trauma treatment for clinical practitioners. Training and Education in Professional Psychology, 16(4), 362-375. https://doi.org/10.1037/tep0000326).
Although the research literature on trauma and traumatic stress is extensive and constantly expanding, most psychologists have a cursory knowledge of trauma at best (Courtois, C. A., & Gold, S. N. (2009). The need for inclusion of psychological trauma in the professional curriculum: A call to action. Psychological Trauma, 1(1), 3-23. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0015224).
Extensive coverage of trauma is not an integral component of the standard curricula in graduate-level education (Cook, J. M., Simiola, V., Ellis, A. E., & Thompson, R. (2017). Training in trauma psychology: A national survey of doctoral graduate programs. Training and Education in Professional Psychology, 11(2), 108-114. https://doi.org/10.1037/tep0000150).
The appropriate treatment for any given individual diagnosed with developmental trauma will not ultimately be based on a single fixed generic therapy, but instead on a matching of treatment components and practices that have been shown with similar individuals to best address the specific symptoms (Ford, J. D., 2021. Progress and limitations in the treatment of complex PTSD and developmental trauma disorder. Current Treatment Options in Psychiatry, 8(1), 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40501-020-00236-6) & (Ford, J. D. (2023).
Why we need a developmentally appropriate trauma diagnosis for children: A 10-year update on developmental trauma disorder. Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma, 16(2), 403-418. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40653-021-00415-4)
Jodee's formal training
This is a glimpse of her educational path -
PhD Candidate (ABD) in Human Development (conc: dev psy and relational trauma) | April, 2026
Master of Arts | Human Development (conc. relational trauma)
Master of Arts | Public Service Leadership
Compassionate Inquiry (trauma) | Dr. Gabor Maté & Sat Dharam Kaur
Certified Professional Coach | Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC)
Professional Certified Coach (PCC) | International Coaching Federation
Licensed NLP Trainer | The Society of NLP
Licensed NLP Master Practitioner | The Society of NLP
ELI Master Practitioner | Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC)
Certified Executive Coach | COR.E Leadership Dynamics Specialist
Certified Trauma Practitioner | (multiple certifications)
Certified HeartMath Trauma Specialist | HeartMath Institute
verifiable at credly.com
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