Jenny Bilskie-Smith,
Certified Mental Health Therapist In Phoenix, AZ
Hi! If we haven’t met yet, I’m Jenny Bilskie-Smith. My pronouns are she/her. I’m a coffee lover, wife, stepmom, and dog mom. I’m a person who loves having meaningful conversations. Uh, I guess that’s why I became a therapist.
In my journey, I’ve discovered an incredible well of wisdom that’s readily accessible to all of us: it resides within our bodies, including our nervous systems. When I take the time to tune in to my body, honoring its needs and showing it the respect it deserves, I uncover a wealth of invaluable insights.
This clarity extends to various aspects of life, from health and relationships to work, boundaries, parenting, spirituality, and so much more. My body serves as the vessel through which I experience the world.
Admittedly, I haven’t always been attuned to my nervous system.
There was a time when pain led me down a path of self-criticism, driven by perfectionism and shame. During those moments, I felt disassociated from my own body, longing for the pain to subside. However, I eventually learned that genuine healing comes from addressing the root causes rather than simply masking the symptoms.
My Story
One particular January, as I embarked on my usual “New Year, New Me” resolutions, something shifted within me. It dawned on me that I no longer wished to be motivated by self-loathing. Instead, I aspired to be guided by joy and self-love. I envisioned a life filled with more energy for the things that truly nourished my soul—more quality time with my husband, family, and friends, the opportunity to engage in more meaningful work, and an abundance of joy derived from reading, gardening, meditating, writing, and dancing.
Seeking help healed me.
I did lots of healing and reconnected to my intuitive wisdom. I found clarity when navigating relationships, implementing boundaries, self-care, and more. I connected to the source of empowerment and confidence.
Now, I’m passionate about helping people
(like you) heal your emotional wounds from the source so you can break free of debilitating cycles for good.
Yes, your body and nervous system may hold trauma, and it might feel like your body is the source of your pain. However, within your body are the tools to heal the trauma. Your body has the power to guide your well-being.
In your healed existence, you’ll be able to choose a response to life circumstances that align with your values and your courage. You can spend your time and energy on the things that give your life meaning and joy.
Today, my mission is to partner with people like you and help you find your way back to your intuitive wisdom, back to your wise body.
Official Bio
Jenny Bilskie-Smith has over 25 years of professional experience helping people navigate various forms of stress and trauma at the intersection of physical and mental health.
Jenny started Wise Body Therapy in Phoenix, AZ, a supervised private practice, in 2022. She offers mental health therapy that incorporates several different therapeutic modalities.
Jenny also enjoys teaching Arizona State University psychology students about therapeutic skills and the physiology of the nervous system.
In 2020, Jenny started Wise Body Physical & Mental Health, where she offered individual and group coaching services specifically related to disordered eating.
She received her EMDR training in 2023 and her Intuitive Eating Counselor certification in 2020. Jenny has additional training in eating disorders and best practices for evaluating and intervening in disordered eating, ego states parts work, and polyvagal therapy.
Early Experience
In 1998, Jenny began her career working with adolescent males with sexually maladaptive behaviors while pursuing a Bachelor of Integrated Studies from Weber State University in Ogden, Utah. This degree integrated Nutrition, Exercise, and Psychology as Jenny was interested in a holistic approach to wellness.
In 2006, Jenny started working with the Department of Child Safety (DCS) and served in various capacities, including case manager, investigator, supervisor, and Executive Assistant to the statewide agency’s Deputy Director.
Education
In 2016, Jenny received a Master of Social Work from Arizona State University and is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW). While in school, Jenny had two counseling internships working with diverse populations.
In 2002, Jenny received a Bachelor’s degree that integrated Nutrition, Exercise, and Psychology from Weber State University in Ogden, Utah.
Workforce Resilience & Work Place Wellness
In 2017, Jenny created and implemented the DCS Workforce Resilience – Peer Support Program, designed to provide employees with a confidential and timely supportive intervention to catalyze healing from workplace or personal difficulties. She trained over 1,400 frontline staff and over 300 DCS leaders to improve resilience to secondary traumatic stress, vicarious trauma, cumulative stress, and burnout. Recruiting and mobilizing the first team of peer support volunteers, Jenny mentored and coached them with ongoing support, training, and guidance. So the program remained active after she left, Jenny developed agency policy and procedure to support the peer support practice and identified metrics to measure program success over time. While at DCS, she evaluated elements of agency-wide workplace wellness by using a well-established survey tool.
Jenny conducted Resilience Workshops at the 2018 Annual Arizona Prevention Conference, the 2018 Head Start Birth to Five Passport to Wellness Conference, and the 2018 Arizona’s Families Thrive DCS Conferences for Foster Families and was a panelist at the 2018 ACEs Consortium Conference.
Four newspaper articles featured The Workforce Resilience program. (Arizona Republic – 12/16/18 & 12/31/18; Arizona Daily Star – 10/13/18; & KTAR 9/13/18)
After leaving the Department of Child Safety in 2019, Jenny created two workshops, A Workplace Culture of Healing & Resilience and How Do You Compassion? which she still leads for agencies upon request (most recently for Playworks & Arizona State University
Curious how I can help you heal?
Schedule a FREE consultation!
Looking for more support between sessions?
Visit JennyBSmith.com, my hub for trauma recovery insights, self-compassion practices, and nervous system healing resources designed to complement your therapy journey.