About Dr. Jen
(she/her)

Welcome to my practice! I am a licensed psychologist providing therapy to California (PSY31402), Oregon (#3744), Washington State (PY61112207), and New York (027125) residents.

I have specialized training in evidence-based treatments, including:

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Functional Analytic Psychotherapy (FAP)
Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
Prolonged Exposure (PE) for PTSD
Exposure Therapy, informed by the psychological flexibility model

I have completed continuing education in Internal Family Systems (IFS), and am IFS-informed. I also incorporate elements of Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) and Motivational Interviewing (MI).

I earned my doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology from the PGSP-Stanford Psy.D. Consortium. I spent several years training in the VA system, and received both generalized and specialized postdoctoral training in substance use, trauma, and co-occurring disorders. My research interests during and beyond graduate school focused on reducing provider stigma in substance use treatment. Following my postdoctoral fellowship, I served as a faculty member, clinical supervisor, and attending psychologist in the Addiction Medicine/Dual Diagnosis Clinic at Stanford University School of Medicine. In 2021, I opened my private practice, and am licensed to provide psychotherapy to residents of California, Washington, Oregon, and New York. I relocated to the Pacific Northwest to be closer to my loved ones and live my freest, fullest life.

I identify as a bisexual/queer, European American/white, visibly able-bodied, agnostic, cisgender woman. I love working with clients across the 2SLGBTQIA+ spectrum, as well as those with marginalized identities, whether visible or invisible.

Beyond my work as a psychologist, I enjoy rock climbing, reading, cooking, interior design, painting, and contemplating the mysteries of the universe through music, writing, poetry, and deep conversations with my loved ones.

Treatment Philosophy

A paradox I keep returning to, both as a psychologist and fellow human, is that the more willing we are to turn towards our pain with care, the more awake and alive we become. In a world that incentivizes us to do the opposite, it’s a significant shift: we don’t have to “overcome” our emotions, learn to think positively or care less, attach to limiting stories about ourselves or what’s possible for us, or endlessly prove our value to feel a sense of belonging and worthiness. We do not have to become an idealized, optimized, or pain-free version of ourselves to live the life we’ve only dreamed about. If nothing about you had to be different, how would you want to live?

In our work together, we will learn how to make meaning inside of the mystery of being human. It’s my favorite part of being a psychologist - as we explore the deeper layers of your existence and relationship to the unknown, we get to discover how you want to live while you’re here. Inhabiting a human vessel asks a lot of us: our emotions can be beautiful and frightening, our thoughts have the power to motivate and deflate, our bodies change unexpectedly, and it’s in our evolutionary instincts to resist our pain, while living in a world that disproportionately marginalizes and harms.

I love working with adults and high performers who find themselves stuck in this very human dilemma. I specialize in navigating anxiety, grief, trauma, and substance use amidst difficult relationships and painful family histories. Grounded in science, our therapy will support your personal agency to live your values in a way that leaves infinite ripples, despite our impermanence, and stay connected to your humanity, without exiling any part of yourself to the cosmos.

Schedule a Consultation w/Dr. Jen

Education, Training, & Work Experience

LICENSED PSYCHOLOGIST

California, Oregon, Washington State, and New York

CLINICAL INSTRUCTOR & ATTENDING PSYCHOLOGIST

(2019-2021)

Stanford University School of Medicine, Addiction Medicine and Dual Diagnosis Clinic

POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP (2018-2019)

Substance Use, Trauma, & Co-Occurring Disorders EmphasisSan Francisco VA Medical Center

DOCTOR OF PSYCHOLOGY (2018)

PGSP-Stanford PsyD Consortium

DOCTORAL INTERNSHIP (2018)

VA Sepulveda Ambulatory Care Center

MASTER OF SCIENCE (2015)

PGSP-Stanford PsyD Consortium

BACHELOR OF ARTS (2009)

University of California, Los Angeles

Publication Record

I have co-authored 37 presentations at national conferences and published 4 scientific articles in peer-reviewed journals, with an emphasis on provider stigma in addiction treatment. I have also contributed to research at the intersection of substance use disorders, traumatic brain injury, cognition, and PTSD in Veterans.

To view the available abstracts of my peer-reviewed journal publications, please click here. If you would like free access to any of the articles or chapters, please email me.

Bielenberg, J., Swisher, G., Lembke, A., & Haug, N.A. (2021). A systematic review of stigma interventions for providers who treat patients with substance use disorders. Journal of substance abuse treatment, 131, 108486. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsat.2021.108486

Pennington, D. L. & Bielenberg, J. (2019). Traumatic Brain Injury. The ASAM essentials of addiction medicine, 3rd Edition, Wolters Kluwer.

Pennington, D.L., Bielenberg, J., Lasher, B., Herbst, E., Abrams, G., Novakovic-Agopian, T., & Batki, S.L. (2020). A randomized pilot trial of topiramate for alcohol use disorder in Veterans with traumatic brain injury: Effects on alcohol use, cognition, and post-concussive symptoms. Drug and alcohol Dependence, 214, 108149. DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2020.108149

Haug, N.A., Bielenberg, J., Linder, S., & Lembke, A. (2016). Assessment of provider attitudes toward naloxone (Narcan) on Twitter. Substance abuse, 37, 35-41. DOI: 10.1080/08897077.2015.1129390

About Dr. Jen (she/her)

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