Jen Moore Counseling Services

The legislative session took a lot out of folks, and we know folks are still feeling the consequences. Add The Words, Idaho and Legal Voice are teaming up to pour back into community and are holding a space for restoration and grounding in community.

Join us for a day of nourishment and connections, based on your own comfort level. In addition to meals and snacks, we will be hosting a variety of healing practitioners in both group and solo settings, including but not limited to: Crafting, Games, and Meditation. Licensed Therapists Gabby Davis and Jen Moore will be present to help hold legislative listening sessions. (More information below).

Child care will also be provided at no-cost. There are no speakers, no programming, no tabling from organizations. This will strictly be a community centric space for healing and restoration.

🎟 RSVP here: https://secure.everyaction.com/uVJh7ly_3kmg61E0InWErA2

✨ADDITIONAL INFORMATION✨

💐Legislative Listening Sessions are 30 minute group or individual listening sessions that acknowledge the present and make space to talk about what is happening to us + in us as we live through the experience of the Idaho legislative session and seeing ourselves, our communities, and our human rights under attack.

When these collective and traumatic experiences happen, it affects us internally - and yet we so rarely have space to process or listen to what's going on, without judgment or problem solving.

In these 30 minute sessions, your facilitators will ask questions and hold space for whatever is coming up as we sense what's going on with and within us amidst our individual and collective experiences.

💐 This is a strictly gun-free zone.

Save the date, y'all!

Save the Date: Sunday, April 24th 10amMT-3pm

We know the legislative session took a lot out of folks, we know it still is. We are teaming up with Legal Voice to pour back into the community and holding a space for restoration.

Join us for a day of nourishment and connection based on your own comfort level. In addition to food we’ll be hosting a variety of healing practitioners in both group and solo settings; licensed therapists Gabby Davis & Jen Moore will be present! In addition to: reiki, crafting, games, mediation and more details to come!

No programming, speakers or organizational tabling- just community centric connection and healing.

If you have an offering you’d like to explore providing OR you’d like to make sponsor a particular offering, please reach out to Chelsea at [email protected]

Any size contributions towards the event can also be made at www.addthewords.org/contribute

**Stay tuned for more details and registration opportunities next week!

Today is Transgender Day of Visibility, or . I have mixed feels all about it. For transgender folks to be visible in a world that has tried and keeps trying to erase us has been revolutionary… AND I want to offer Trans folks options and my own reflections:

— Be visible, or don’t. Remember, you don’t owe that to anyone.
— What about a Transgender Day of Ease? Or of feeling protected? Or of joy? Or of having access to resources?
— Encouraging trans folks to be visible puts all the labor on us. What about liberating this world and spaces so that we don’t have to struggle so much, or experience so much harm, when we’re visible? How about cis day (or days) of unpacking your harmful behavior and binary systems?
— Remember my transgender, questioning, and beyond the binary lovelies, you get to decide what support means to you and what environments feel safe for you to be visible within… and how you feel supported and where you wish to be visible can be fluid.
— To my fellow trans fam, I offer you love. Everyday. Visible or not.

Image reposted from TenderRebellions.

You ever get caught up in those internalized binaries? I’m good or bad at this? I’m okay or not okay? I’m healing or I’m not?

The thing is, binaries are garbage. They distract us from the fluid and present nature of life and our experiencing of it. They come in the ways of judgments, of rigidity, of only one truth being possible at a time… we might never get started on something new (job, relationship, outlook on life) bc the binary keeps us stuck.

But jiving with more of your flow, checking in with where you’re at, and embracing the process of things helps ya . It lets you be both scared and brave. Tired and giving your best. Healing and struggling sometimes. Owning your s**t and getting better by the day.

Hoping you’re able to bust out of those binaries around ya and inside of ya. Break free, y’all ❤️❤️❤️

Repost

My wish for you is to choose you. Love for you. Joy for you. Rest for you. A momentary break (or longer!) for you. Protecting your peace for you. No more educating others for you. Laughter for you. Ease for you.

However it looks, in whatever ways are accessible: choose you.

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

This is a different kind of post. It’s a gratitude post. A love letter. An appreciation for community. It’s the joy of working with and celebrating my people, many forced to be more resilient than they should ever have had to be. It’s my framily who help me feel soft and loved in a world that require us to put on coats of armor so crusty and crispy and hard. It’s the folks who show up — really show up - for transgender youth. It’s the reminders from beloveds to nourish and love on ourselves. It’s the collective and the marathon we’re running together, taking breaks as needed, all the while moving towards liberation. I have deep love for you. For us. Thank you. Always.

Such deep LOVE ❤️ ❤️❤️ for the community of folks who showed up and out and worked to get harmful anti-trans legislation stopped. Community celebration plans are in action — follow Add the Words and get ready to share space and joy, y’all 🥰

✨ This moment belongs to community, relish in this moment of joy. While it’s not the first or last fight where LGBTQ+ folks have to defend their humanity- today- we hope our transgender siblings and their families can breathe a heavy sight of relief.

Celebration planning is underway! Stay tuned!

Thank you for using your voices, Dr Pennings and Dr Flynn.

House Bill 675 will cause deep, irreparable harm to the Idaho families it claims to protect - Idaho Capital Sun Idaho's House Bill 675 will cause harm to transgender children and families seeking medical care, write Kelly Pennings and Daniel Flyyn.

There might be speculations of the horrendous bill banning gender affirming health care for transgender youth being dead- but we don’t leave room for speculations.
Add the Words along with our friends at Legal Voice, Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates West and more then a dozen local and national organizations are keeping the pressure on Senate State Affairs to hold HB675 in committee without a hearing.
Use bit.ly/NO675SSA to send them a message now!

Gender affirming care is:
✅ medical best practice
✅ age appropriate
✅ patient led in collaboration with families & doctors
✅ endorsed by every major medical association
✅ proven to help mental health & improve physical wellness

Facts are facts!

ID text “gender affirming care is life saving care” in black on white background

This HITS. Sometimes we need to hear the power of our own voices, folks.

Sometimes silence isn’t the answer. Cussing folks tf out is therapeutic too. Do what you need to do for you.

Need some love, laughs, or reminders of what a badass you are? All of the above? Take what ya need from my fridges’ assortment, folks.

And remember the messages around ya, be they magnets or from the folks you let hold space in your life, affect you. So make sure the energy you’re getting matches what you need, brings joy, and lifts you up.

You deserve it ❤️♥️❤️♥️❤️♥️

Repost from

Idaho is reintroducing harmful anti-trans legislation we saw back in March 2020. Scroll thru the images for some action items.

Follow and locally for info as it continues to develop. Donating to Add The Words (Venmo: AddThe-Words) also helps support the work their doing to interrupt harmful legislation AND support community. Please consider sharing those $$$ if you are able to do so.

Sending my q***r and trans 🏳️‍⚧️ fam all the love ❤️

We're gonna do the WPATH letter + Affirming Care Coordination Training again. Folks who join will:
-- learn about the process of writing a WPATH letter and the WPATH Standards of Care 7.0 + a preview of the 8.0 version coming out in Spring 2022
-- get copies of different kinds of paperwork for you to use/adjust
-- be better prepped to meet the needs of transgender, non-binary, and gender expansive folks interested in taking medically affirming steps
-- know how to help address the gatekeeping role the medical industrial system puts us in and support clients in navigating this
— learn about advocacy skills to try and increase access to care

First two hours are instruction, last 30 minutes is Q&A time.

Cost is $250 for the whole training and all paperwork (assessment used, letter examples, and more!). Cost also includes a 30 minute one-on-one consult with me to be used anytime in 2022. You don't have to learn and then practice this new skill set alone!

Also, if you sign up to be a GALAP provider in whatever state you practice in, cost is pay what you can from my sliding scale ($120 to $249).

My fave part? All $$$ earned will be split between going towards my sliding scale/pro bono funding and directly supporting community with the amazing folks over at Add The Words!

Please note: no CEs will be provided as that's a whole lot more work on me as the trainer and outside my capacity to offer at this time.

Seats will be limited, so slide into my DMs to reserve your spot today!

Hey q***r fam — have you done anything for you today? Can you please?

(1) you’re absolutely deserving of care because you’re worthy with innate value and (2) when you care for you, we as a collective are cared for.

Big love to you, me, and us ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

It’s tough to find the right words after a stressful period of time or after an argument, but repair attempts are key to getting your relationship back on track.

A repair attempt is any statement or action—verbal, physical, or otherwise—meant to diffuse negativity and manage conflict.

Dr. John Gottman refers to repair attempts as “the secret weapon” of emotionally intelligent couples. Research shows that the success or failure of a couple’s repair attempts is one of the primary factors in whether a relationship is likely to flourish or flounder.

Learn how to recognize, respond to, and use repair attempts in the Gottman Relationship Coach Bundle, All About Conflict. Get started today: https://bit.ly/3njDcvD

Please note: This post is not meant to address situations of abuse. Social media is not a substitute for therapy and individualized support.

Y’all, sometimes you wanna talk and sometimes you don’t. Or you have a confusing mixture of both bc… emotions are confusing sometimes. That’s okay.

Consent is important everywhere, including in the counseling office.

So, talk about it if you want to. Other options include: acknowledging it. Expressing it. Validating it. Distracting it. Soothing and nurturing it. Asking it what support it needs. Or a mixture of any of the above.

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

It’s all political 👏👏👏

For today’s spotlight, we are highlighting Indya Moore (they/them)- an activist and actor who is known for their role as Angel Evangelista in the show . ⭐️

In 2019, Moore was named one of TIMES 100 most influential people, not just for their groundbreaking role in Pose, but also for speaking out on their platform to raise awareness of anti-racist education, police brutality, and transgender issues over the years. 

They have supported the creation of , a project geared towards bringing holiday spirit, joy and love to trans and nonbinary youth during the holiday season. 🎁

Indya Moore is a gift to our community- sharing their knowledge and uplifting all of us. ✨

How have you been inspired by their work❓

We heal in community. Friends, loved ones, Internet groups, support groups, virtual communities, family members, clubs, and so much more. Which communities do you want to connect with this week?

Happy !

I deserve rest. I am enough! What are your affirmations, y'all?!

Hey y’all! Did you know that in addition to therapy and teaching counselors in training that I offer coaching and consulting? This is for those caregivers and family, helping professionals and businesses, medical and counseling folks that want to move beyond putting up a rainbow and more deeply invest in acts of allyship, rather than just the performance of it.

For my q***r fam, these coaching sessions are great for those peeps in your life that want you to educate them… I can do it so you don’t have to!

All appointments are confidential, educational, and meet you were you’re at in your learning, while also helping you to unpack, un-binary, and better understand how to intentionally affirm and be in community with your q***r and transgender kids, students, clients, friends, etc.

Individual appointments and packages available. And feel free to ask about group rates.

Slide into my DMs or send me an email at [email protected] for more info.

When couples are experiencing Negative Sentiment Override, they're likely to view their interactions through a negative filter. This is because negative interactions have accumulated over time, leading partners to feel unimportant, unwanted, or uncared for.

Learn therapist-approved tips to break the cycle of negativity and reconnect with your loved one on the Gottman Relationship Blog: https://bit.ly/3FMvhyp

How do you talk to a client about their window of tolerance? We made a simple tool to help you explain what’s going on when they’re feeling dysregulated. Here's the link: https://www.nicabm.com/trauma-how-to-help-your-clients-understand-their-window-of-tolerance/?del=1.16.21FBPost3

For more strategies on how to work with client's whose traumatic experiences have narrowed their window of tolerance, check out The Treating Trauma Master Series, now 50% off for a limited time: https://www.nicabm.com/program/fb-treating-trauma-master-6/?del=1.16.21FBPost3

I don’t know who needs to hear this, but it is okay to be sad tomorrow. If there is a place you feel you need to be where your feelings won’t be respected or that you’ll be shamed for not being cheery, please reconsider visiting that place and/or people. Give your self some grace tomorrow. Be gentle with yourself. Feel your feelings. Do what you need to do for you. If there’s someone that refuses to accept it, maybe there’s time to consider a before the New Year.

Super psyched to hold this training and share space with folks seeking to serve community. It’s happening in just under an hour!

Fun fact: I never learned how to write a WPATH (World Professional Association of Transgender Health) til I opened my private practice. I had a wonderful mentor (where you at, JM Gess?!) and attended trainings, conferences, read books, and deeply listened to the experiences of q***r, transgender, non-binary, and gender expansive folks because nothing in my grad school prepped me to intentionally set up a space or practice that centered our needs. The thing is, mental health as a system is designed to serve white cishet folks. And our training as providers deeply reflect this.

Fast forward about five years and many, many WPATH letters later, and I’m feeling such joy at being able to offer this… it came out of the needs of community, having just a three peeps signed up to be GALAP providers in the state of Idaho only two months ago. We’ve more than doubled that! It’s helping give to community, through access to more free letters (long term) and funds (50% of registration fees donated directly back to community). And being a genderq***r person myself, it’s from community. So hell to the yes for all of this.

Image description: The foreground shows a computer screen. On the screen is the title of a workshop being given today, “Affirmative Counseling Skills Series: WPATH Letter Writing Process”. The title is set in a blue square with a white and light blue background. In the background of the image, off to the right hand right, there is a window. On the sill of the window sit two plants.”

Craft your rest practice. Go slow. Go deep. Invent.

Loving Monday eve reminder: folks don't have to understand why you say no, or why you have the access needs you have, or why you have the boundaries you have, or why your capacity is where it's at. Something I find myself saying often, too, is how folks don't have to deeply understand my unique experiencing of gender to respect my pronouns.

Would it be lovely for folks to understand the things above? Absolutely. We all deserve to be held and to be seen and to be respected. And I recognize that for a lot of us, the amount of energy and emotional labor that goes into explaining our ways of being, again and again, is a whole heck of a lot. It's tiring. It's hard. And it's unnecessary.

So, my beloveds, say no where you can. Check in about the needs you have and make space for them, when able. Respect your own boundaries whenever possible. And on the other side of things, let's respect each others no's, needs and boundaries. Let's even celebrate them when we can!

I lovingly hope that we're able to access our wellness and protect our peace, however that looks like for each of us. We deserve it. ❤️❤️❤️

Thank you, The Community Center - TCC!

Here’s an offering from The Community Center for folks within the Treasure Valley area; $25 gift cards from WINCO. Communities being prioritized are LGBTQIA+, Black and Brown folks, undocumented folks, and folks living with disabilities. Click on the link for more info.

Winco Gift Cards Please complete the form below by Thursday December 9th. Gift cards will be mailed to your home address around Monday, December 13th. The Community Center is offering $25 Winco gift cards for folks in need within the Treasure Valley. Our goal is to assist those communities that experience the most m...