Education
- PhD. Barry University, 2016
- MSW, Barry University, 1998.
- BSW, University of Central Florida, 1997.
Areas of Interest
Mindfulness with Vulnerable Populations, Neuroscience and Psychotherapy, Interpersonal Neurobiology, Integrating Neuroplasticity into Clinical Practice
Biography
Dr. Jennifer Williams is an Associate Professor and previous Undergraduate Program Director in the School of Social Work at Barry University. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 20 years of experience. Dr. Williams is trained in EMDR, clinical hypnosis, and has received training from Dr. Herbert Benson and associates of the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Williams’s academic and practice experience is rooted in trauma-informed care and the therapeutic use of mindfulness. In her clinical practice she combines traditional counseling techniques with complementary modalities that rely upon the connections between body, mind, and spirit. She has become one of the leaders on the faculty in teaching, presenting and training other professions on the use of mindfulness in personal and professional practice, neurobiology and understanding the impact of trauma on brain development, utilizing complementary and integrative approaches for self-regulation, and self-care for the social work community. She developed and teaches the graduate course titled, “Mind Body Connection: The Neurobiology of Clinical Practice.” In addition, she teaches graduate advanced clinical social work practice courses, as well as the undergraduate course titled, “The Personal, Cultural, and Social Influences on Helping.” Dr. Williams is also the co-author of the School’s Post master’s Mindfulness in Therapeutic Practice Certificate Program.