Jane Wendy Briggs, LCSW

My Training and Approach

Resources and Forms for Jane Wendy Briggs, LCSW

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Additional Credentials

  •  EMDR Parnell Institute/Levels I, II and III with Laurel Parnell, PhD

  •  Institute for Mindfulness in Psychotherapy year long certificate program

  • AEDP Level III with Diana Fosha, PhD and ongoing training

  • DBT with Lane Pederson, PsyD

  • ISTDP 9 month training with Patricia Coughlin, PhD

  • Kripalu Yoga Teacher and Yoga Therapist Training

My Training and Approach

I received my MSW from The University of New England.  I have had experience working within an integrative medical practice, as a staff clinician at Bowdoin College, in community mental health and at the Addiction Resource Center at Mid Coast Hospital. 

My treatment style is relational and holistic. Every client is unique and there is no such thing as one-size-fits-all therapy. The overarching goal of our work together is to develop new tools and strengths to meet life's challenges, and for many, to forge new insights into emotions and behaviors with curiosity and compassion, resulting in a more satisfying, joyful and authentic life. 

As a Clinical Social Worker, I am always attuned to the impact the systems within which we live have on individuals; whether they are systems of our bodies, of our families, of institutions, or society and/or culture. 

My approach to therapy is integrative:  I focus on the mind-body-spirit connection and combine traditional, Western approaches to treatment with Eastern applications of Buddhist Psychology and Yogic Philosophy. I have taught yoga and meditation for many years and am trained as a yoga therapist. I may bring principles of Ayurveda, meditation, mindfulness, self-compassion practices, breath work or yoga into the work we do together. My yoga therapy training has given me a rich understanding of the anatomy and physiology of the body and the imprints stress and trauma can leave.

I have extensive training in approaches that are grounded in contemplative practices which help us to gain greater awareness of, and as a result become more intentional with, our thoughts, emotions and behaviors in the here and now, such as Dialectical Behavioral Theory (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and have a certification from the Institute for Mindfulness in Psychotherapy in Cambridge, MA.  

My work is grounded in recent findings in neurobiology that suggest that trauma can negatively impact our brain functioning and conversely, therapeutic interventions can create positive change. I have advanced training in trauma work including Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), an intervention proven to aid in integrating traumatic memories, and I receive ongoing training and supervision in contemporary applications of psychodynamic theory, an approach to clarify the roots of old patterns and become more aware of how we may be unintentionally defending against growth.