I'm Jennifer Evans, Associate Mariiage and Family Therapist, #162617
Addiction & Recovery Specialist
At a Glance
-
Lived experience of recovery — I know the long arc from the inside
-
Late-diagnosed autistic — I understand how neurodivergence and addiction can interweave
-
Deeply involved with a nonprofit supporting people impacted by trauma
-
Primary modality: AEDP — attachment-based, somatic, nervous-system-centered
-
Non-shaming, direct, and steady — I don't flinch
-
Believes addiction is what a nervous system did to survive — not who you are
-
Equally at home with the early fragile weeks and the long rebuild after
You don't have to do it alone. The most important moves in recovery happen in relationship — not in willpower, not in shame.
Why I Do This Work
I sit with people in recovery because I have been in recovery, and I know what is asked of a person.
I know what it costs and what it returns. I know the early, fragile weeks where every minute feels like a decision. I know the long rebuild that follows — the identity that has to be reassembled, the relationships that have to be repaired or grieved, the self-trust that has to be earned back one quiet day at a time.
My approach is direct, non-shaming, and steady. I don't flinch.
I will not tell you that what you're feeling is too much. I will not pathologize what got you here. And I will not pretend the work is easy, because it isn't — but it is possible, and you do not have to do it alone.
What I Understand About Compulsive Sexual Behavior
Compulsive sexual behavior, sex addiction, porn dependency, and chronic infidelity rarely begin where they look like they begin.
Underneath, you'll usually find some combination of:
-
A nervous system that learned to regulate itself through intensity
-
Unprocessed trauma — sometimes loud, sometimes whisper-quiet
-
Loneliness, masking, or chronic emotional disconnection
-
Shame loops that the behavior temporarily turns down — and then makes worse
-
Neurodivergent wiring (autism, ADHD, AuDHD) that finds reinforcement and routine especially compelling
-
Relational ruptures that have never had a chance to be repaired
These are not excuses. They are explanations. Understanding why a behavior took hold is part of how it loses its grip.
How I Work
My primary modality is Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP) — an attachment-based, experiential approach that treats relationship as the engine of healing and the nervous system as central to change.
In practice, I work as an active co-traveler. You won't be alone with what you're feeling — not the shame, not the cravings, not the grief, not the hope.
We track the small shifts in real time, let emotions actually move rather than just talking about them, and we make as much room for the relief and joy of healing as we do for the pain that brought you in.
Recovery is not just the absence of a behavior. It is the slow return of yourself.
Around that core, I integrate trauma-informed care, nervous system regulation, somatic therapy, nonviolent communication, and neurodiversity-affirming frameworks.
Trauma, Neurodiversity, and Why This Work Matters to Me
Alongside my clinical practice, I am deeply involved with a nonprofit dedicated to supporting people impacted by trauma.
Trauma is not abstract to me. I have spent years — in and out of the therapy room — sitting with what it does to bodies, identities, and relationships, and what it takes to make a way through.
That matters here because compulsive sexual behavior so often grows in trauma's soil. And it matters because so many of the people I work with are also late-discovering their own neurodivergence — finally understanding why connection was so hard, why intensity was so soothing, why nothing in the conventional toolbox quite fit.
When that picture clicks into place, the shame loosens. And from there, real change becomes possible.
Who I Work With
-
Individuals navigating sex addiction, porn dependency, or compulsive sexual behavior
-
Partners impacted by betrayal and discovery
-
Couples doing the long, careful work of repair after sexual betrayal
-
Clients in early recovery from substance use disorders
-
Clients in long-term recovery doing identity, relational, and meaning-making work
-
Neurodivergent adults whose recovery is tangled up with autism, ADHD, or AuDHD
-
People who have tried recovery before and need a different kind of room
What to Expect in Session
I'm warm, attuned, and honest. You won't be asked to perform shame, perform progress, or perform anything.
I will name what I see, gently, and I will hold what you bring without judgment. Sessions are paced for your nervous system — we do not flood, we do not rush.
I accommodate neurodivergent needs in the room — movement, fidgeting, reduced eye contact, written summaries, flexibility around sensory and energy load. You are allowed to bring all of yourself to this work, including the parts you're not yet sure you can show.
Addiction is what a nervous system did to survive. It is not who you are. And what comes after recovery can be more honest, more connected, and more your own than anything that came before.
License, Training, & More
-
Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (AMFT) #162617 — California
-
All sessions are virtual. I work with therapy and assessment clients in California, and coach clients worldwide.
-
Supervised by Dr. Harry Motro, LMFT #53452
-
Employed by New Path Family of Therapy Centers
Education:
-
Western Institute for Social Research — M.A., Psychology
-
Certified Integral Coach through an internationally accredited coach training program
-
UC Berkeley and CSU Fullerton — Undergraduate studies in Sociology, Legal Studies, and Criminal Justice Reform
Clinical Training & Modalities:
-
Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP), Trauma-Informed Care, Nervous System Regulation, Somatic Therapy, nonviolent communication, Attachment-Based Relational Work, Neurodiversity-Affirming Frameworks