Biography

Jennifer Drummond: The Belly Dancing Psychotherapist is a trained psychotherapist and belly dancer with an array of experience.  She works with a client-centred approach, both in a therapeutic and workshop setting.  Her set of Core Values and Guidelines are fundamental to how she works with clients.  Jennifer has worked for several years with individual clients and has extensive experience training and facilitating groups in an innovative and non-formal arena. 

Jennifer received her training as a Psychotherapist and Spiritual Director at the Transformational Arts College (TAC).  She was trained in both the traditional methods of talk therapy, while being able to incorporate several other alternative therapeutic techniques to assist in the healing process of clients.  She is presently on contract with TAC as a facilitator of their Total Self Program, an eight-week self-awareness program.

Jennifer is also a Belly Dancer and instructor, studying and training under Badia Star.  Her unique style is rooted in folkloric dances from Egypt.  Her veil work is fluid and sublime and her Raks Sharki is joyful and sassy.  She has taken training courses and workshops with a number of well known belly dancers, such as Hadia, Rachel Brice, Helena Eriksen and Aisha Ali to name a few.  She has taught classes and workshops all over Ontario.

Jennifer has taken all of her training and has combined the three things she loves to do most, teaching, belly dance and therapy to develop her Beyond Belly Dance Program.  With this program she can work with a client teaching them the moves of belly dance to help unblock stuck energy and hidden emotions.  Using this unique technique along with the energy work of the chakras, she has helped clients gain a better sense of self, tap into their femininity and to feel empowered enough to express their emotions without being overwhelmed or feeling the need to shut their feelings away.  Beyond Belly Dance incorporates the woman as a whole - body, mind and spirit!

Before starting her training as a psychotherapist with TAC, she received an Honours B.A. from the Glendon College Campus of York University.  Her experience at the university led to employment and living opportunities in Western and Eastern Europe; most notably France and Russia.  Her university experience lead her to work for two highly respected non-formal educational programs for youth, Canada World Youth (CWY) and Katimavik. 

Her long relationship with these organizations, CWY and Katimavik, have given her the experience of creating and facilitating a number of non-formal and interactive workshops and projects. These projects and workshops have helped to prepare clients for challenges while establishing a safe environment where they could take risks while increasing their awareness, learning and personal potential.  She has also facilitated workshops to assist clients to increase their cross-cultural communication, problem solving, time management, stress management, team and interpersonal dynamics.  These skills are very transferable for work in a therapeutic environment with both individuals and groups.

Jennifer is a well-rounded therapist and her previous history will be a benefit to all her clients.  She is a great advocate for the client-centred approach to therapy.  Her training, previous and personal experience can benefit clients who want to make changes in their lives.  Having gone through her own therapy and being emotionally touched by belly dance, she brings humour, passion and understanding to her work and loves to watch clients grow into the beautiful beings they were born to be. 

If you would like to see what Jennifer looks like to help make your decision, please click on the icon to go to the link. 

Photos