Jody Gardner grew up in Southwest Florida and attended the University of Florida where she earned a B.S. and M.S. in Health Education & Behavior. Having played competitive soccer her entire life, including a stint on the Gators’ soccer team, Jody decided to pursue this major out of a passion for understanding the psychology driving the health choices people make while learning techniques for promoting healthy lifestyle choices in individual and group settings. After graduation, looking for her next adventure, she moved to Austin, TX, sight unseen. It was in Austin, while working for a community mental health agency, that she recognized social work was her passion and the discipline she situated herself in professionally and personally. Thus, she chose to pursue social work as her career and re-entered academia in pursuit of her Master’s and PhD in Social Work. In December of 2021, Jody graduated with her MSW and became licensed shortly after. She is currently still pursuing her PhD, and her research interests are aimed at holistic health outcomes and improving healthy relationships, specifically within the intellectual and developmental disability population.
Regarding psychotherapy, Jody’s approach to therapy is collaborative, strength-based, and person-centered. She believes in exploring everyone’s unique strengths and vision for themselves and using this as a framework that will guide sessions. Through the lens created by her varied clinical experiences, innate compassion, and empathy, Jody supports and assists those willing to make a positive difference in their lives. Jody prides herself in providing a safe and supportive space to work side by side with individuals to overcome trauma, as well as the psychological barriers that are keeping them stuck. To achieve these ends, Jody employs psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral, and solution-focused therapy strategies.
