Jodi Morley, Registered Mental Health Counselor Intern
My "Why"
When I was about five years old, my mom asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I told her, "I want to help people breathe." At the time, we assumed that meant medicine. I loved science and was fascinated by the brain and the mind-body connection. Years later, I understand that what I meant by helping people breathe was never about lungs or oxygen. It was about helping people feel safe enough to exhale, slow down, and feel.
My path initially led me into pharmaceuticals, where I learned how powerfully the body and brain respond to medication. While that knowledge mattered, I also realized that healing is not only about treating symptoms. It is about creating safety, connection, and space for the nervous system to settle. I knew then that the hospital setting was not where I was meant to land, but the understanding I gained continues to inform my work.
Becoming a mom has been one of the greatest joys of my life. The love I feel for my children awakened a deep desire to be a role model, and in doing so, it gently but honestly revealed how my own childhood wounds had shaped me. I experienced multiple forms of trauma early in life, which taught me to be strong, capable, and impenetrable. I became the wise friend, the one with insight and advice, the one others leaned on. On the outside, I appeared steady and resilient. On the inside, I was overwhelmed, disconnected, and struggling to make sense of my own emotional world.
That disconnect showed me how survival strategies that protect us early on can quietly limit us later. When we learn to feel nothing in order to survive, we also lose access to joy, ease, and connection. Over time, I came to understand how deeply our early experiences live in our bodies, our relationships, and our sense of self.
After having children, I found my way into teaching through volunteering and later earned my teaching certificate in exceptional student education. Working closely with children and families confirmed something I had always known. When people feel seen, safe, and understood, real growth becomes possible. During COVID, teaching online allowed me to see families in their real environments, some nurturing and some heartbreaking. My role naturally shifted from teaching content to offering emotional support. I was often told, "You're like a therapist who happens to teach."
During that same period, I lost my father to cancer. One moment, he was fine, and two weeks later, he was gone. That loss clarified everything. Life is short, and my heart was calling me toward deeper and more meaningful work. I followed that pull into the mental health field, where helping people breathe became helping them feel safe in their bodies, steady in their emotions, and connected to themselves and others.
My passion for this work is shaped by both professional experience and lived truth. I know what it feels like to disconnect, to feel numb, and to survive instead of truly live. At my core, I believe we all want the same things. To be seen. To be loved. To know that we are enough. Healing is possible, and no one has to do it alone.
Three Fun Facts About Me
* I'm an animal lover who has fostered over a hundred orphaned and mistreated kittens, and even a few bunnies along the way
* I once appeared on Wheel of Fortune with a soap opera star (we lost, but it's still a great story)
* I'm a fur mom to a bunny and a former foster cat who decided our family was permanent
My Favorite Books
* The Gifts of Imperfection by Brené Brown
* The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
* Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb
My Hobbies
* Spending time with my family, whether that's game nights, taking walks, building Legos, or simply being together
* Volunteering in a variety of settings, from working with children and nursing homes to supporting animal rescue
* Creative projects like cookie and cake decorating or crafting
* Traveling to new places, with a love for both water and mountains and discovering spots off the beaten path
* Reading and getting lost in stories that offer meaning, reflection, and hope
My journey as a therapist
My journey to becoming a therapist did not begin with graduate school. It began through lived experience. Long before I had language for trauma, attachment wounds, or nervous system regulation, I was learning how to survive, adapt, and care deeply for others. Those early experiences shaped the way I see people and the way I show up in the therapy room.
Growing up, I was exposed to multiple forms of trauma, including abuse, family substance use, disconnection, and an eating disorder. I learned early how to be strong, insightful, and capable. I became the "wise" friend, the one who offered support and perspective, often putting my own needs aside. While those survival strategies helped me endure, they also taught me what it feels like to live disconnected from myself. That lived understanding allows me to sit with clients in their pain without judgment and without rushing their process.
As life unfolded, I also came to understand neurodivergence more personally and relationally. I have a deep appreciation for the complexity of ADHD, sensory differences, and loving someone on the autism spectrum. These experiences have shaped my belief that there is no one right way to think, feel, or relate. They inform my neurodivergent-affirming approach and my commitment to honoring each person's unique wiring.
Academically, I earned my Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Dickinson College, where my interest in human behavior, development, and the brain took root. I later graduated from the University of Central Florida with a Master's degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and completed a Play Therapy certificate through UCF. My training reflects my passion for working across the lifespan, including children, adolescents, adults, couples, and families.
I am especially drawn to trauma-focused and relational work, including play therapy, because healing does not happen only through words. It happens through safety, connection, creativity, and attuned relationships. Whether I am sitting on the floor with a child in the playroom, supporting a teen navigating identity and overwhelm, or helping couples reconnect after rupture, I aim to create a space where people feel seen, understood, and emotionally safe.
I continue to learn and grow alongside my clients. I believe therapy is not about having all the answers, but about staying curious, compassionate, and present. My own journey reminds me that healing is not linear and that growth happens when we feel safe enough to be honest. It is an honor to walk alongside others as they reconnect with themselves and move toward lives that feel more grounded, authentic, and whole.
My favorite Superhero
Not a traditional hero, but Luna Lovegood. I admire her gentleness, authenticity, and the way she sees and accepts people exactly as they are.
My favorite Quote
"Trauma is not what happens to us, but what we hold inside in the absence of an empathetic witness."— Dr. Peter Levine
Jodi's private pay rate is $150/hour. She is currently accepting new clients for in-person and virtual sessions, Monday through Thursday. She participates with FL Blue, Aetna and Cigna insurances and Health Savings accounts.