"When we are crushed like grapes, we cannot think of the wine we will become."

-Henri Nouwen

January 1993.

After battling Existential OCD for nearly six years, I fell victim to a religious cult during my freshman year of college.  Even though the group had been banned from my university in 1987,  I was recruited right on campus, in the classroom.  I had no idea what is happening until it was too late.  The only voice from the outside world that captured my attention was the television, broadcasting nightly stories about some drama brewing in Waco, Texas.  At first I laughed at these stories.   But the more I listened, the more I realized that the great new church I'd been attending was a cult.  Getting out was nothing short of exhausting.

This experience left me angry, bitter, and cynical.  I reasoned that relationships aren't worth the hassle because people suck.  My attitude had completely blinded me to the fact that I had become the very thing I despised: a miserable, negative person!  But over time I became open to the possibility that the worst thing that ever happened to me was actually the best thing that ever happened to me.  It made me stronger, more discerning, and prepared for anything.  Once I realized that, I stopped being so miserable.

Did you know that the most powerful thing you can do to bring about change is to understand yourself?  It's far more productive to know how your mind works, as well as why you get "stuck" in a traumatic event and continue to make the same mistakes over and over, than it is to study — and obsess over — the people who hurt you.

You see, we are all, in some way, poisonous people. And when we focus on getting our own toxic traits under control, we find that we don't just recover from the toxic people we've been crying over; we actually outgrow them.

If you're tired of feeling powerless, ruminating over how you were wronged, or fearing you've become one of the same people you keep complaining about (i.e. the ones with the negative, pessimistic, victim mentality), then perhaps it's time for something different.  I'm glad you're here, and I am rooting for you as you fight to restore balance and peace to your world.

Warmly,
Jen

Jennifer Guerriero, Ed.D., LCSW, RDT

Instructor

My last name is pronounced, "Gary-Arrow."

Credentials

  • Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Florida 
  • Licensed Clinical Social Worker, New York
  • Registered Drama Therapist, NADTA 
  • Doctor of Education 
  • Master of Social Work 
  • B.A. and M.A. in Theatre

Professional Experience

Professional Social Worker
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Various settings since 2002, including hospital and school social work. 
Therapist in private clinical practice since 2015, using a blend of psychological interventions mixed with learning theories and drama therapy techniques to treat issues of codependency, trauma, psychological abuse, identity issues, and OCD.  

Higher Ed Experience
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Doctoral level higher education professional (retired) with 20 years' experience in academic advising, career counseling, and college level teaching (i.e. study skills, critical thinking, personal finance, time management, boundary setting, and goal setting).

Personal Highlights

Freedom from Thanatophobia
and Existential OCD
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A sure sign we've healed is that we are no longer afraid to participate in activities which originally caused us pain.  I was harmed by a toxic church.  Today, I'm a member of a healthy church that is my greatest support system.

My OCD has been in full remission since becoming a Christian in 1993.