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Restorative + Transformative + Embodiment
Experience the benefits of Yoga and other therapeutic services, through our expertly crafted classes, workshops, and more!
Experience the benefits of Yoga and other therapeutic services, through our expertly crafted classes, workshops, and more!
Jennifer Francis-Gehring, LCSW, RYT 200, was born and raised in Owensboro, KY. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Sociology from Bellarmine University in 1998, her Master of Social Work from Spalding University in 2003, and her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Spalding University in 2010.
Jennifer has worked for The Center for Women and Families as a counselor for survivors of domestic violence and sexual harm, the Cabinet for Health and Family Services as a Social Services Clinician for youth in foster care, Day Spring as residential support professional for individuals with different abilities, the University of Louisville Hospital as their weekend social worker and Owensboro Health Regional Hospital as their weekend Emergency Department social worker and then as the ICU RN Case Manager, before coming home to work at New Beginnings in 2016 as a therapist working with survivors of sexual harm. Jennifer is the co-creator of the New Beginnings podcast – Start By Listening.
Jennifer is trained in the following psychotherapy modalities: Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR), Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Child-Centered Play Therapy, Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP), NeuroAffective Relational Model (NARM), NeurOptimal Neurofeedback, EAGALA- Equine Assisted Psychotherapy and uses Polyvagal Theory as a lens to provide therapy that helps survivors begin to embody safety and connection within the nervous system.
Jennifer is passionate about educating communities about Trauma Stewardship and Polyvagal Theory and has created trainings that will help our community learn about trauma and the ability to build resilience.
Jennifer loves spending time learning about cutting-edge treatments for trauma, being in nature, puttering in her backyard, taking care of her outside and inside plants, resting and teaching trauma informed Yoga classes in Owensboro KY.
Jennifer is very excited to launch into private practice in 2025 and learn new ways of providing holistic care to the community.
* Monthly workshops
*Pop up Yoga classes
*Community engagement
"This is Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. I regret to report that both our Jedi Order and the Republic have fallen, with the dark shadow of the Empire rising to take their place.
This message is a warning and a reminder for any surviving Jedi: trust in the Force. Do not return to the Temple. That time has passed, and our future is uncertain.
Avoid Coruscant.
Avoid detection.
Be secret... but be strong.
We will each be challenged: our trust, our faith, our friendships. But we must persevere and, in time, I believe a new hope will emerge.
May the Force be with you, always."
"I wish it need not have happened in my time,” said Frodo. “So do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”
"All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given
to us."
"It is not our part to master all the tides of the world, but to do what is in us and hope."
"All shall be well, Frodo Baggins. All shall be well."
"Neither love nor terror makes one blind: indifference makes one blind."
"People are trapped in history and history is trapped in them."
"Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced."
"The paradox of education is precisely this — that as one begins to understand, one begins to see that the more one understands, the less one understands."
"Education is not merely schooling people; it is rather schooling people in such a way that we can liberate their minds, so as to enable them to think critically and creatively."
"Love is a practice. It is a way of living. It is not simply a feeling. It is a commitment, a choice, a practice. Loving requires practice, just as does anything we wish to do well. We must practice loving ourselves, practice loving others. We must practice being loving in all our relationships, with family, with friends, with colleagues, with strangers. And it is important to remember that love is not just something we feel, it is also something we do."
"You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it."
"Words mean more than what is set down on paper. It takes the human voice to infuse them with deeper meaning."
"Courage is the most important of all the virtues, because without courage, you can't practice any other virtue consistently."
"Education is our passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today."
"I'm for truth, no matter who tells it. I'm for justice, no matter who it's for or against. I'm a human being, first and foremost, and as such I'm for whoever and whatever benefits humanity as a whole."
Mission Statement
Willow & Ash fosters a safe and supportive community where individuals can embark on a transformative journey of wellbeing. Through the integration of Yoga, Psychotherapy, and holistic healing practices, you are guided to reconnect with your body and restore balance within your nervous system. Connection, lived and shared experiences, along with mindfulness, provide the foundation to sustained embodiment, resilience, transformation and a life filled with meaning and vitality.
Vision Statement
Willow & Ash strives to become a thriving hub within our community, where individuals cultivate deep inner peace and live with profound joy, resilience, and purpose. This desired vision occurs through fostering a supportive network based on the ideas of community, creating safety, and connection. Willow & Ash encourages all people to live their life with courage and bravery, journeying toward authenticity through self-discovery and transformation.
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