Jennifer Tzoumas, PhD

When considering therapy, it is important to have a good rapport or connection with your therapist. I mean, if I am picking a surgeon, I really don't care too much about his friendliness as I am not spending much time chatting with him or her. I want to know about the surgeon's technical skills above all else. But picking a therapist is much different. You will be working hard at learning how to approach your struggles differently, and that requires a good cooperative partnership with your therapist. After all, you will be discussing perhaps some of the most personal or painful parts of your life. It is hard to get a feel for someone just from their profile, but I believe the therapy environment should be a good combination of: professionalism and solid evidence-based techniques, with an amble dosing of friendliness and even light-hearted humor. Although your therapist is not just a "paid friend", you should feel as comfortable talking with me as you would a close friend, while knowing that I will be adding years of experience and training to that discussion. My Specialties Surprisingly, I am not an expert in all things (see the humor there?), and will let you know if I think you need additional or alternative experts to advise you. However, I have spent almost 20 years helping a wide variety of individuals who have struggled with: Anxiety, Depression, Stress Management, Parenting Struggles, Relationship Issues and Dissatisfaction (breakups, divorces, arguments, negotiating priorities and values, sexual and emotional intimacy, etc), Grief and Loss, Medical/physical concerns (chronic pain and illness, coping with cancer, diabetes management, etc.), Women’s issues (for example infertility, breast cancer, coping with pregnancy and pregnancy loss, post-partum depression, managing menopause), Phase of Life Transitions (you just started college, new career, got married or divorced, started having children, entered the empty nest, etc) Issues of Aging (including adjusting to retirement and coping with the aging process) Psychological Testing & Evaluation Bariatric Surgery Evaluation/Clearance - A single appointment can accomplish your required pre-surgical psychological evaluation. After growing up in Waco, TX, I obtained my doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology from Brigham Young University (BYU). I completed my internship at the State University of New York (SUNY Upstate) in Syracuse, NY. I have worked in private practice in Pennsylvania since 2001. In 2018, I founded Creative Solutions Behavioral Health PLLC in order to expand my services to individuals outside my local area by offering online counseling. I hold active licenses for independent practice in Texas and Pennsylvania. I have been married for 22 years, and have two teenage daughters. Although I enjoy social gatherings in small doses, I am more of an introvert (I prefer working one-on-one, or in small groups). Outside the office, I consider myself an avid reader, recreational runner, and part-time gardener. I am active in my church and enjoy watching my daughters in their activities (dance, TaeKwonDo, and marching band). If you think we would be a good fit, I would love to help you in your journey of growth.