Discover the Insights of Neuroscience on Human Connection with Trauma-Informed Counselor
Jennifer is a Registered Therapeutic Counselor, Mindfulness Educator, Yoga Teacher and Educator at the BC Crisis Center, where she teaches workshops on Mindfulness, Suicide Intervention Skills (ASIST) and Tools for Managing Stress & Burnout. We’re lucky to have Jennifer as one of our beloved My Sex Bio Studio facilitators! We asked her a few questions about herself and her work:
My Sex Bio: Could you tell us a little background about yourself and why you chose your profession?
Jennifer Aberman: I have a background in fine arts and cooking, and later on in life decided to use my creative side to explore psychology and neuroscience. I became fascinated with what disconnects people from reality and from each other. I decided to become a counselor and educator in my early 30's.
Another reason I got into this work is to be able to help people rid themselves of shame and the damage that it can cause ourselves and others. I turned self-exploration into a hobby and found some amazing teachers and friends who taught me many cool things that I now share with others.
MSB: How do you define connection/human connection?
Jennifer: Good question.
I think that each week I might have a different answer for this, and this week's answer would be that human connection is about being able to connect to another through some sort of shared reality.
Whether that be through language, touch, energy or whatever else the creative mind can come up with.
MSB: Why is giving attention to how we connect with ourselves and other important?
Jennifer: We all need others to survive. We are wired for connection. Many folx have blockages to healthy connections that lead to nourishing our entire being. When we give attention to how we connect to ourselves and others, we can develop our capacity to learn new skills and connect from a place of authenticity, rather than from a place of games or distorting reality, or any of the unfortunate ways wounded psyches attempt to connect. Those unfortunate ways of connecting often lead people to feel even more disconnected and often harm others in the process.
MSB: What are your primary goals for The Science of Human Connection classes?
Jennifer: To have fun! To share information to support others in having healthier and more nourishing connections in their lives. To also learn from people I may not meet otherwise. Each class teaches me something new about how I would like to show up in the world and how I can be with others as they figure out how they want to show up.
I think life is about creating who we want to be and how we want to be in this world. There is no perfect version of ourselves waiting around some corner, and there is great power in realizing we get to create who we want to be.
The skills we learn in these classes are lifelong skills that we can mold and shape to help us be who we truly want to be.
MSB: Are there any resources (videos, blogs, etc.) you’ve come across recently that support the importance of human connection/your work?
Jennifer: I highly recommend the work of Dr. Dan Siegel. His work informs how I educate others and myself. A quote of his that I love is "Integration made visible is kindness and compassion"
He makes neuroscience accessible to many people, not just academics. I also highly recommend the Stuck Not Broken podcast. It also teaches me a lot, and he [Justin Sunseri] shares a lot of information about the nervous system and biology that is helpful for daily living.
MSB: How can people learn more about your work?
Jennifer: They can check out my website and come say hi! https://tobeheardcounselling.com
Join Jennifer’s class offered at My Sex Bio Studio:
🧠 The Science of Human Connection 101, explore what happens in the brain and body when connecting to ourselves and others and learn new ways to optimally connect with others, something that we are all capable of and even hardwired to do.
