Hi, I’m Paisley. My legal name is Jennifer Burrell, which you’ll see on my credentials and paperwork, but Paisley is what most people call me.
I’ve always been deeply curious about relationships. About how we love, how we hurt each other, and how we find our way back.
My education and training matter deeply to me. They gave me the tools, structure, and clinical foundation to do this work well. Over time, I’ve found that wisdom is shaped just as much by life itself through loving, losing, repairing, and trying again.
When I was nine years old, my parents divorced. At that age, one quiet question took root in me. How does deep love turn into distance?
That question never really left.
It shaped the way I listened. It shaped the way I watched relationships. Eventually, it shaped the path my life would take.
In high school, I discovered psychology and immediately felt captivated. I was fascinated by the idea that we aren’t just one solid personality, but a constellation of parts. Protective parts, wounded parts, hopeful parts. All trying their best to keep us safe. Understanding how our minds interpret and sometimes misinterpret each other felt like learning the secret language of being human.
That curiosity slowly grew into a calling. I went on to earn both my Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Master of Science in Marriage, Couple, and Family Therapy from Portland State University. Today, I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and Clinical Supervisor of LPC and LMFT Associates in Oregon. Over the years, I have pursued extensive advanced training in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), EMDR, Internal Family Systems (IFS), mindfulness-based approaches, and trauma-informed couples therapy.
But honestly, my deepest education didn’t only come from textbooks.
It came from life.