Jennifer Casey

Jennifer Casey

Associate Marriage and Family Therapist #137546

Santa Cruz Office

Medi-Cal Provider

“Welcome to the real world. It sucks. You’re gonna love it.”

  ——- Monica Geller

Hi, I’m Jen! I think psychotherapy is valuable and effective in part because it is a space and time just for you where you can feel seen, heard, and validated. Together, we can identify what’s not working in your life and work towards positive change and growth. I can provide you with the tools and strategies to manage life’s difficulties. Therapy is also an opportunity for deep self-exploration and cultivating authenticity that can guide you throughout your life.

I work with teen and adult individuals, couples, and families. I approach each session with a friendly, relational, humanistic, and informal style. I believe that humor is an essential component of therapy and encourage clients to laugh between 2-7 times during each session. Whether you have been diagnosed with ADHD, autism, depression, anxiety, substance abuse, or simply want to explore these topics, I may be a good match. I also love exploring motivation, gender identity, sexuality (including polyamory-informed perspectives), life’s meaning and purpose, parenting, and relationships. I strive to create a therapeutic relationship that feels like a good fit for you.

As a psychotherapist, I bring a diverse range of educational and experiential backgrounds to my work. I hold a BA in Art and an MA in Counseling from the University of Washington and Palo Alto University, respectively. I have also undergone and continue to receive training in various modalities, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Internal Family Systems (IFS), Non-Violent Communication (NVC), Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), Art Therapy, and Gottman Method couples work.

My commitment is to provide a safe, non-judgmental, and empathetic environment for my clients to explore their experiences and work towards greater fulfillment and well-being.

Request an Appointment

To Request an Appointment at Shine a Light or NPCC, please fill out this form. We respond to inquiries Monday through Friday. All inquiries we receive on the weekends or holidays will be processed the next business day. Thank you for your patience. If you need immediate services, please call 911.

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.
Your Name
Name of Intended Client
Contact Preferences:
Date of Birth (of the intended client)
Use the drop down menu to select your nearest location.
Of whoever is paying for therapy
Use the drop-down menu to select your insurance coverage.
Use the drop-down menu to select the type of counseling you want.
Use the drop-down menu to indicate if you have seen a therapist with us previously.
Issues You Want Help With:
MORNINGS you are Available:
EARLY AFTERNOONS you are Available:
LATE AFTERNOONS you are Available:
EVENINGS you are Available:
This helps us track your inquiry and respond to you quickly.
HIPAA Referral Form (for professional use)

New Office in San Francisco!

Shine a Light Counseling Center is please to merge with New Perspectives Center for Counseling. NPCC has been serving the San Francisco community for thirty years. Now NPCC is transitioning to become the San Francisco site for Shine a Light. NPCC will retain its name, character and history. For information about NPCC or counseling in San Francisco:

 

New Perspectives Center for Counseling (link)

Agency Contact Form (for Organizations seeking to contact our administration)
Emergency Contact

Shine a Light does not provide crisis services. If you have a mental health emergency, call 988 or 911. Or  click here  for more Crisis Resources

Telephone Contact

You can call Shine a Light at 831-996-1222, but we encourage you to use the email forms to the left. If you call, please leave the following:

  • Phone number
  • Preferred location
  • Best times to meet
  • Issue you want help with
  • What insurance you have (if any)

FAX us at: 831-417-0443

Good Faith Estimate

You have the right to receive a “Good Faith Estimate” explaining how much your therapy sessions will cost. Your fee will be set according to a sliding scale, in collaboration with your therapist, prior to your first counseling session. Total costs depend upon the number of sessions you choose to utilize.

If you have private health insurance and we are not in-network with your plan, please be aware that your costs for therapy may be less by using an in-network provider. This will depend upon your plan's deductible amounts and co-payments. In some cases, counseling at Shine a Light is less costly than using private insurance.

If you hope to use "out of network" benefits through your private insurance, please be aware that many plans will not reimburse for services provided by trainees. Please request an Associate level therapists for out-of-network billing.

Click here to download a flyer for

Shine a Light Counseling Center

facebook icon  Find us on Facebook