Jennifer (Taz) Vazquez, LMHCA
Meet Jennifer (Taz) Vazquez, LMHCA
I grew up in a military family and lived much of my teen years in the Chicago, Illinois area. Currently, I live in Gig Harbor, Washington with my dog, Suki. I am a Licensed Mental Health Counseling Associate, Veteran, Fitness Instructor, Coach, and Writer. I retired from the Air Force in 2018, after twenty-five years. I love dance fitness, boxing, kickboxing, reading, and hiking.
We all have stories to tell. What happened in our lives is just that, it isn’t who we are, it is what happened to us. The challenging stories are based on past events, and they keep getting activated via negative automatic thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and repeated behaviors…which can keep us stuck and/or prevent us from living in genuine alignment with who we are.
I believe we each have the ability to reset, readjust, restart, and rewrite the parts of our story that are no longer helpful or serving us. We are amazingly intelligent, creative, resilient, and adaptive beings! What story(ies) do you want to rewrite, or let go of, that are no longer helpful?
Approach and education
I have a Master’s degree in Counseling from Seton Hall University. I have over thirty years of coaching, mentoring, leadership, advising, and counseling experience. I utilize evidence and strength-based approaches via Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT or Tapping), Positive Psychology, and Art therapy. I specialize in PTSD, Trauma, Anxiety, and Depression. I love supporting teens and adults.
I believe therapy should be a collaborative, culturally-responsive, trauma-informed, inclusive, and a safe space, tailored to the client’s needs. I collaborate with each client to assist them with their goals and intentions, so clients can live their Soul FULL life with more Passion (love of self, others, and community), Purpose (living your values and Why), and Play (living with curiosity, zest, gratitude, and hope).
“I feel enriched when I can truly prize or care for or love another person and when I can let that feeling flow out to that person.”
— Carl Rogers