Welcome, I’m Jen Barnes, the owner and founder of Pathways to Wellness Minnesota Ltd. I have dedicated the last ten years of my 24+ year career in mental health and wellness to helping women+ recover and heal from complex trauma.  It has been an honor and a true joy to walk alongside dozens of women on their path to healing – their path to a life they thought they could only dream of.

One of my guiding principles for trauma recovery is choice, stemming from the words of psychiatrist, author, and teacher Judith Herman:

“No intervention that takes power away from the survivor can possibly foster her recovery, no matter how much it appears to be in her immediate best interest.”

This marries perfectly with my values as a clinical social worker of meeting people where they’re at and honoring their unique experiences and journey.

That is why I have studied so many different healing modalities and techniques – so that you have choices available to you in your healing.

As an IFS Level II Therapist, I am guided to work from a place of curiosity and compassion, holding space for you to be with the inner parts of yourself – both the parts who hold the trauma and the ones working so hard to help you function through managing and other ways of protecting.

I am also certified in Trauma Center Trauma Sensitive Yoga (since 2016), an evidence-based, somatic therapy, and am an Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher (500 hour).  Additionally, I am certified in Meditative Movements™️ and a First and Second Degree Reiki Practitioner.

I have studied the work of Deb Dana, Stephen Porges, and other experts in the field of neuroscience and enjoy bringing this into our work for nervous system regulation and understanding the process of healing.

I trained in EMDR in 2014, becoming certified in EMDR in 2017 though chose to release my certification in 2024 since it is not required for treatment.

When I’m not working you’ll find me exercising (I LOVE Zumba and enjoy strength training, HIIT, and hiking), reading, writing, meditating, practicing yoga, spending time with friends and family, or snuggling with my beloved cats.