Jen Kost, MSW, LCSW

My background:

I am a trauma informed Licensed Social Worker (LSW) with experience working both inpatient & outpatient OB/GYN hospital setting as well as in my role as a birth doula. I discovered the world of maternal health in 2014, when I was invited to be apart of my friend’s delivery. It was the most life changing experience for me. I knew, then, that I had to change my vocational direction, thus beginning a path towards supporting women in the perinatal period. I became a doula shortly after her birth, and quickly realized the many unique challenges women face as their families grow and change. I love being a doula, and I will always practice doula work when I can. However, I began looking into the various ways I could continue to support women and families, beyond labor work. I found social work in 2015, and I have never looked back. Throughout graduate school, I did everything I could to specialize in maternal health and work with women. In the hospital and diverse community settings, I have lead groups, helped families access key resources, processed through grief and loss, and intervened in a variety of crises.

My approach to therapy is empathic, creating a judgement free zone for you to show up as you are. I utilize parts of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Internal Family Systems, to help clients recognize the ways in which their thoughts and feelings impact behaviors. You are a whole, with many parts. We will work together to make space for all the parts of you that co-exist, while exercising compassionate curiosity for yourself.

Why I’m a Therapist:

I have had the honor of walking through this season, with all its highs and lows, alongside many patients, clients, and friends. I hope I can be a supportive presence in this beautiful and possibly difficult time for you. There is so much “both and” when it comes to the perinatal period. Losses and gains, throughout. I aim to help you find space for all of it. We are complex, as people, often having many different emotions at once. This is totally normal! Society puts far too much pressure on mothers to have it all together and nail it on their first try, all the while acting like it was easy. I hope to provide space that honors your process and encourages you to find your true inner peace and confidence. You are enough.

Education & Training:

I received a Masters in Social Work at the University of Illinois at Chicago in 2018. While in school, I was a home-visiting doula, focusing my studies on maternal health as much as possible. While in school, I interned in community and hospital settings working with mothers and children and completing postpartum psychosocial assessments. Since graduating, I have worked in a health care setting helping families access resources, counseling, and support, particularly in the maternal and child health space.

Areas of Specialization:

I provide individual therapy in the following areas: anxiety, depression, grief & pregnancy loss, perinatal trauma, transitions to parenthood, attachment issues, and perinatal mood/anxiety disorders.