Member Highlight — Natalie Jambazian, LMFT

Amanda F. Jennings, LMFT

I had the pleasure of meeting Amanda at the infamous Blu Jam Café in the San Fernando Valley and learning more about her story, over a delicious omelet and french toast. Amanda joined SFV-CAMFT earlier this year and I didn’t realize, after attending every meeting, that I hadn’t had a chance to really engage with her. It made me realize how important it is to have face-to-face contact with therapists in your field, those with whom you can share specialties, and learn more about each other.

It was so refreshing to talk to Amanda. She was so fun and full of light and energy. My first question to Amanda was, “What made you get into therapy?” Amanda grew up in New York and went to school in Wisconsin, and then moved to Chicago after graduation. She grew up in a dysfunctional family of alcohol abuse. After working in the business world and giving birth to her daughter, she took time off. Her family dynamic had a strong impact on her, which is why she started reading self-help books, that in turn, drew her to psychology and the field of marriage and family therapy.

Most of her earlier training was in eating disorders and somatic experiences, where she would facilitate groups for eating disorders. As a child who grew up in a family with alcohol abuse, she really connected with her clients and understood their trauma. As an anxious teenager she struggled with her weight, thus she was attracted to clients who were addicted to eating behaviors that negatively impacted their lives and was passionate to help this population. This was the springboard that eventually led her to trauma work. She now teaches people to look within their bodies and understand how their bodies feel. Her motto working with her clients is “no shame, no blame, zone,” which is a very cool slogan to use, especially for clients who have a lot of guilt associated with how they feel.

Amanda is trained in EMDR, attachment-based therapy, MBSR (mindfulness-based stress reduction) and specializes in alcohol abuse, eating disorders, body image, and divorce recovery. She also wanted to share a resource called VFED (Valley Federation of Eating Disorder). It is a group of eating-disorder, treatment professionals in the San Fernando valley. She also facilitates a grief group for widows and widowers at Hospice of the Conejo.

We then talked about what activities she engages in, and is passionate about, outside of work. She mentioned she loves yoga, practiced at a dance studio called Five Rhymes free form dancing. I thought it was a unique twist to dancing, which I would love to try. It was nice sharing our creative outlets outside of work. We ended our wonderful breakfast by laughing uncontrollably and discussing dating in the new age.

I truly connected with Amanda, she is charismatic, fun and her heart is huge. I look forward to meeting with her again in the near future.

Natalie Jambazian, LMFT, is the President-Elect of SFV-CAMFT. Natalie is a licensed marriage and family therapist and Anger Management 818 facilitator working in private practice, located in Sherman oaks. In addition, she works with individuals, families, children, teens and adults including, but not limited to, relationship issues, divorce, anger, anxiety, and trauma work. Natalie's passion is helping clients overcome emotional and psychological distress through constant exposure to a Narcissist. Narcissistic Personality Disorder displays the traits of those who suffer from a lack of empathy and an inflated sense of self-importance. She also facilitates a women's narcissist support group in her practice, where she helps women overcome trauma by a narcissist.