My name is Jacquelyn Buffo, but you can feel free to call me Jackie. I am born and raised in Michigan. My husband and I have 3 boys and we enjoy anything outdoors. In fact, we decided to leave the hustle and bustle of our large city and move to the countryside at the end of 2017. It was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made! I graduated from Michigan State University (go green!) with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Elementary Education and Language Arts. I went on to pursue my Master’s Degree in Mental Health Counseling in 2009. I have been a licensed therapist for nearly 9 years. Prior to practicing as a professional counselor, I worked as a career counselor in Detroit for 3 years. After earning my graduate degree, I worked as an in-home therapist in the metro Detroit area. There, I counseled adults and children who were survivors of abuse, experiencing PTSD, and addiction issues. After I obtained my certification as an advanced drug and alcohol counselor in 2016, I became the primary counselor at an inpatient women’s specialty program. I provided therapeutic services to pregnant women and mothers suffering from substance abuse and mental health disorders. I was able to obtain my dream job as an adolescent and adult outpatient therapist with Henry Ford Health System (HFHS) in 2016. HFHS provided me with an amazing opportunity to receive intensive training in dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT). I am currently in the process of obtaining my DBT certification and I co-lead an adolescent DBT skills group. My area of focus includes borderline personality disorder, anxiety, depression, addiction issues, interpersonal conflict, self-esteem and trauma. It is my personal and professional belief that creating a life worth living requires intention and skill; it doesn’t just happen. Life can be difficult at times and some of the difficulties we experience are out of our control. However, sometimes we cause the pain we experience due to lack of skill, intention or self-awareness. Through acceptance and change we can learn to maximize our happiness and create a life we love. Mindfulness is a cornerstone of my therapeutic approach, which is something I learned in my DBT training and practice daily. I am blessed to be able to provide services with BetterHelp because it makes therapy accessible to everyone. It can feel intimidating and scary to reach out for professional help and it can also be one of the best decisions you ever make. BetterHelp is a revolutionary platform that helps make therapy more approachable by reducing the fear that can accompany traditional face-to-face counseling. Thank you for taking the time to learn a little bit more about me, I look forward to hearing more about you.