About Jen
The woman behind The Essence of You
I'm Jen Reddish, founder of The Essence of You, a Registered Master Therapeutic Counsellor, Certified Reiki Master, Certified Forest Therapy Practitioner, and Trauma-Informed Group Facilitator. I've spent more than 17 years working with people through individual and group psychotherapy, and much of what I bring to this work has come from my own experience of learning to trust myself and live more authentically.
My Journey
For much of my life, I was afraid to be truly seen. I learned to blend in, keep the peace, and pay attention to what other people needed from me. I would replay conversations in my head, question what I'd said, and worry about how I was coming across. I spent a lot of energy trying to get things right to be accepted by others.
As I approached adulthood, I felt a strong pull to figure out who I was beyond everyone else's expectations. Two months after my eighteenth birthday, I left togo backpacking on the other side of the world. It was the beginning of a much longer journey of questioning what I'd been taught about who I should be and discovering who I really was.
Becoming a mother was another turning point in my life. It deepened my connection to empowerment and it was what propelled me to start The Essence of You in 2016. Since then, I've continued to challenge myself to step outside familiar roles, speak up, trust my own voice, and let myself be seen for who I really am.
I know what it's like to carry too much responsibility, to be scapegoated when you start making changes and setting boundaries, and to lose relationships when you stop abandoning yourself to keep the peace. Choosing yourself can come with real consequences, especially when people are used to you being the one who accommodates, understands, and holds everything together.
But becoming my most authentic self has been worth the risk. I've experienced deep loss along the way, and I won't pretend that choosing a different way of living is easy… but it has led me to finding myself. My life is more aligned than I ever imagined it could be, and every time I think it can't get better, it does.
The people I've attracted into my life as I have become more myself, both personally and professionally, are in total alignment. Some days, when I look at the relationships I've built, the community I've created, the work I get to do, the clients I have the privilege of working with, and the life I'm creating, I can't believe how lucky I am.
Life still brings hard things, uncertainty, and experiences that I never would have chosen. But those things feel more manageable when I'm living in integrity, surrounded by people who support me in the ways I now know that I deserve, and doing work that fulfils me and brings me to life. I don't want a life that looks right to everyone else if it means losing myself in the process.
I'm still learning, and I still catch myself falling into old patterns, especially when my life throws me triggers and challenges. The difference is that now I recognize them, question them, and I try again. I know how much courage it can take to stop being who everyone expects you to be, and I know how much life can open up when you do.
What I Believe About Growth and Leadership
I believe there's a difference between understanding yourself and actually changing how you live. You can spend years learning about your patterns and where they came from, but when you're under pressure, it's easy to fall back into the same responses.
The real work happens in everyday moments. It's saying what you mean when you'd usually stay quiet. It's setting a boundary and letting someone be disappointed. It's asking for help instead of taking everything on yourself, or trusting your own judgment even when you can't know how everyone else will react.
So many women I meet are capable, thoughtful, and deeply committed to the people they lead and support. They're used to being the ones others rely on. But somewhere along the way, they can lose sight of what they need, what they think, and what they want.
You can be good at what you do and still second-guess yourself. You can care about your impact without being responsible for everyone's experience. And you can lead, support others, and make a difference without continually putting yourself last.
I'm a fast mover by nature. When something clicks for me, I want to explore it, put it into practice, and see what becomes possible. I bring that same energy to my work. I love working with women who are ready to do something with what they're learning about themselves, who are willing to get uncomfortable, try a different approach, and take action rather than keep waiting until they feel completely ready.
You don't need to have everything figured out before you begin. But you do need to be willing to participate in your own growth. If you're ready to stop repeating the same patterns, trust yourself more, use your voice, and make changes in how you live, work, and lead, I'm here for that work.
I've also seen this in my own life and work. The more authentic I allow myself to be, the better my work becomes. That means being willing to laugh at myself, make mistakes, admit when I don't have all the answers, and just be me. The less energy I spend trying to get everything right or be who I think I'm supposed to be, the more present I can be with the people I work with. My relationships with my clients become stronger, my work becomes more meaningful, and I'm able to have a greater impact.
For me, authentic leadership means being willing to show up as yourself, keep learning, and trust that who you are is an important part of what you bring to the people around you. The way we relate to ourselves shapes how we show up in our work, our relationships, our decisions, and the way we lead. When we begin to trust ourselves and question the expectations we've spent years trying to meet, we give ourselves permission to do things differently. That's where new possibilities begin to come to life.
Work with Jen
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