Jennifer R. Levin, PhD, LMFT, FT

My name is Jennifer R. Levin, and I am a Licensed Marriage Family Therapist in California (MFC 93269) and Washington (LF 61107912). I specialize in traumatic grief and sudden and unexpected death and have been privileged to work in the field of death, dying and grief for over 30 years.  I am passionate about helping individuals living with grief transition from suffering to healing, and from pain to growth.  In addition to my clinical practice, I provide trainings, consultation, and professional grief education to mental health professionals, clergy, and first responders working in the field of sudden or unexpected death. In 2018 I launched an online program, From Grief to Growth, featuring a self-help course for individuals living with a sudden or unexpected death.  I am also the host of the podcast “Untethered: Healing the Pain from a Sudden Death”.

Educational Background

In 2000, I received my doctorate from the University of California at Los Angeles in Public Health where I studied the psychosocial needs of women with breast cancer. The women and dying patients I worked with taught me so much about living and pursuing a life that is meaningful and fulfilling until the very end. Over the years I have been privileged to help clients and their families transition from suffering to healing, from pain to growth, and in certain instances from life to death. From them I learned how to harness the power of the human connection. My career in the helping profession has been extraordinarily fulfilling. In addition to my work at UCLA, I have served as the Executive Director of a hospice, chaired an end-of-life care coalition, and volunteered with several cancer organizations.

In 2010, I returned to school at Pepperdine University for my master’s degree in clinical psychology. I worked with clients in health crises and transitions, especially related to grief and loss, oncology, and illness. I taught several university courses in psychology, launched a nonprofit to provide low fee grief services and supervised pre-licensed mental health clinicians preparing for their careers as therapists.

My academic studies and my diverse career experiences have equipped me with a unique skill set, compassionate spirit, and sincere dedication to provide therapy for healing.

In 2021, mid-pandemic, my therapy dog, Winnie, and I relocated to Whidbey Island in the Puget Sound of Washington. My work has taught me that life is short, and we do not know how much time we have on this planet. I have always wanted to live somewhere breathtaking, beautiful, and peaceful, and I am so proud to call this little island my home. I am so pleased to be able to continue working with clients and to have the opportunity to develop my new services to meet the needs of those living with grief.