At Soft Landings Therapy healing is a practical, creative, and spiritual journey. Healing unfolds by exploring thoughts, feelings, patterns, and sensations, and by helping you to identify and work through barriers as well as reconnect with yourself.
Hi, I’m Jen Orlando, EMDR-trained therapist and clinical social worker licensed in the State of Connecticut. I offer holistic, individualized, and trauma-informed care for adults, drawing from talk therapy techniques, mind-body practices, and creative empowerment.
Healing is like a paradox; on one hand, we want to put distance between ourselves and the trials and tribulations of our past or present. But sometimes, the more we push these experiences away the more these glitches show up. Living in a fast-paced world, it’s hard to look past the immediate fires of our daily or weekly lives. Yet, sometimes, we feel tossed from one life experience to the next, without really knowing how we got there and merely reacting. What if therapy created the opportunity for a deeper understanding of yourself?
My role as a therapist is to provide a safe container and the tools for uncovering root causes, connecting to self-compassion, and accessing your body’s own healing mechanisms. I’ve partnered with clients across Connecticut to help them achieve deeper relationships with themselves, loved ones, communities, and creative practices.
As a musician with a thriving creative practice, I also understand the role that mental health plays upon our intuition and creative passions. A blank page, blank canvas, new session, or picking a project up where we left off can feel agonizing when we feel disconnected, unfulfilled, or unsafe with our own thoughts. Many artists carry the burden of feeling stuck by themselves. What if you didn’t have to? As a therapist, I’d love to help you feel more secure in your purpose so that the creative process feels inviting, not daunting.
In addition to social work, my background also includes yoga and mindfulness training (500-hour) as well as teaching. These studies deeply inform my values, some of which include:
Professionalism based on serving and perceiving others as whole and equal, rather than “fixing” someone else.
Initiating change and achieving potential through presence, self-acceptance, and compassion for self and others.
Active engagement of the mind and body for a more holistic lived experience and path toward self-transformation.
Wherever you are on your journey, I’m committed to helping you connect to a purposeful and joyful life.
Creative people, artists, and the curious wanting to reconnect with their inner sense of joy and intuition.
LGBTQ+ individuals: I’m proud to work with adults and teens from the LGBTQ+ community. I offer affirming support for the unique challenges you may face. This includes assessments and writing letters for gender-affirming healthcare.
The spiritually curious: Spiritual development is not a requirement for therapy or personal transformation. However, because spirituality often informs our values and philosophies about the world, these processes can overlap. I offer a person-centered approach as an opportunity to be more inclusive of clients’ beliefs and values within the process of healing and growth. I also welcome alternative and diverse belief systems.
Those seeking a dynamic therapist who understands nuance to integrating difficult emotions and thoughts, and who offers tools for responding to life’s challenges authentically.
Who I Help
Anxiety and/or stress management
Trauma & PTSD: Trauma-informed therapy includes integrating somatic therapy, EMDR, and mindfulness to support healing.
Depression
Grief & Loss: Grief is deeply personal, and I’m honored to support you on your journey after loss.
Life Transitions
Addiction and substance use: We’ll work toward understand patterns while exploring healthier coping skills.
Recovery after exploitation: My experience includes supporting those impacted by exploitation as they build a future they envision for themselves.
Recovery after cult involvement, including high-control MLMs and wellness groups. Feeling that dissonance when an online community claiming therapeutic benefits or a pathway to success didn’t work out? You don’t have to feel shame or guilt! I have tools to help.
Relationship Issues: A safe place to gain insight into your own patterns and needs, as well as the confidence to navigate challenges in your relationships.
Areas of Expertise
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy & Person-Centered Therapy: Offering a safe and nonjudgemental place to explore the connection between thoughts, behaviors, and emotions, while honoring your unique perspective and life experiences.
Somatic Therapy: Body-centered approaches helping you to reduce stress, leaving more room to discover deeper emotions and root causes to overwhelm.
EMDR therapy: This evidence-based method helps you to access the body’s natural healing mechanisms.
Culturally Sensitive Therapy: While I cannot claim to be an expert on many cultural practices, I actively seek to understand how traditions and values play a role in the lives of my clients. I commit to supporting you with honoring and weaving those elements into your healing journey.
Collapse Resilience: We are living through multisystemic emergencies—the climate crisis, our failing healthcare system, and inadequate social safety nets to name a few. What would building resilience to help during chaotic times look like for you?
Therapeutic Approaches
Trainings & Certificates
Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) #14987
Basic Training in EMDR certificate
Master of Social Work (MSW), Sacred Heart University, CT
Yoga Alliance 300-Hour and Teacher Certification, De Nieuwe Yogaschool, Amsterdam, NL
14-Hour Trauma-Informed Yoga and Mindfulness in Prisons and Jails, James Fox, Yoga Prison Project
Yoga Alliance 200-Hour Teacher Certification, Daya Yoga Studio, Brooklyn, NY
Bachelor of Arts: English, Creative Writing
I also engage regularly in smaller trainings, workshops, and continuing education, as well as clinical consultation.