Jennifer Forbes

Jennifer Forbes is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) based in Illinois with 14 years of clinical experience. She founded Seed of Hope Counseling Services and has spent more than a decade providing counseling and program development in both nonprofit and private settings.

Her work includes direct counseling, consulting, supervision, and leadership for teams and organizations. She has helped people through trauma, crisis, and major life transitions and has been involved in building community programs for clinical and crisis services.

Jennifer has served on clinical committees such as the Illinois Health Practice Alliance and the Behavioral Health Consortium. She draws on a background in applied family and child studies from Northern Illinois University, where she earned a master’s degree in Applied Family & Child Studies with a specialization in Marriage and Family Therapy.

In sessions she focuses on practical approaches that help people manage stress, anxiety, grief, relationship struggles, addiction concerns, parenting challenges, and other life changes. She uses methods that include Trauma-Focused Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Client-Centered Therapy among others.

Her style blends structure and collaboration. She works with each person to set goals and choose tools that fit their life. Prospective clients are invited to start with a short matching questionnaire and schedule a first appointment to see if the fit feels right.

How trauma-informed and client-centered approaches translate online

Jennifer uses Trauma-Focused Therapy to help people process past hurts and reduce overwhelming reactions. That approach focuses on understanding how traumatic events affect daily life and building steps to feel safer and more in control. Client-Centered Therapy is about listening, empathy, and helping clients identify their own goals and strengths. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) adds problem-focused tools that break big problems into small, manageable steps and teach practical skills for mood and behavior change.

Choosing an approach is collaborative. The therapist will talk with each person about their goals, preferences, and what feels most useful. Together they decide whether trauma-focused work, client-centered support, CBT tools, or a mix fits best, and they adjust the plan as progress unfolds.

Confirm current session options before booking so you know what formats are available. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions into busy weeks, reduce travel time, and allow shorter check-ins when needed. It also makes it possible to keep momentum between appointments with agreed-upon exercises and tools that translate to daily life.