Meet Jerry Allen, MFT, MPH
In my decades of experience as a marriage & family therapist, Aikidoist, musician, singer, storyteller and traveler of the spirit path, I find that the most crucial way to help is to provide a loving, safe, supportive environment where people can come as they are, let go of stress, and discover what their body’s truth can tell them. I use every part of my experience to create this zone of safety for clients to be able to emerge.
Below you can read more about my background.
I practice in Sebastopol and hold a twenty year license as a marriage and family therapist, with an additional masters in public health education, and a certificate from UC Berkeley in financial and investment planning. I’ve spent two decades in public child protective services helping families undergoing abuse, stress, violence and addiction, as well as in private practice. I hold three black belts in Aikido, and have a lifelong interest in the peaceful resolution of stress and conflict and the development of healthy families and communities.
I began my journey with the Aikido spirit warrior path in 1974. I use Aikido, a peaceful, self-defense art to deepen my awareness in my own body, settle my nervous system, and inform my ability to stand in my truth and power. In 1988 I began to follow the spirit path of my native Shawnee/Anishinaabe ancestors, woven together with the multicolored strands of Aikido, Buddhist, Christian and Daoist traditions. I bring the spirit path into all my work to anchor me, bring meaning to my life and depth to my work.
In addition, as a folk singer, musician, storyteller and dance teacher for the past 35 years, I use music, dance and stories to settle audiences, deepen our felt experience of events, bring people closer, and to bring joy to friends and communities.