Over the years, as a psychotherapist, mindfulness teacher, and spiritual mentor, I have noticed many of the same themes arise over and over. One of the central themes is that we have become estranged from our own inner knowing. Trauma, loss, relationships, family dynamics, illness, and the sheer pace of modern life have a way of pulling us away from ourselves. We begin looking outside for answers that can only be found within.

The Listening Body was created to help us find our way back to center. To listen more deeply to the body’s wisdom, to learn how to pause, discern what’s true, and from there move forward with greater clarity and intention.

Dear Jess isn’t an advice column in the traditional sense. While I’ll certainly offer reflections drawn from more than three decades of clinical practice, contemplative training, and lived experience, my deepest hope is not simply to answer your questions. It’s to use each question as an opportunity to look a little deeper—to pause, recognize hidden patterns, and discover what life may be asking of us now.

Together we’ll explore the questions that arise in ordinary life: relationships, boundaries, grief, health, purpose, dreams, work, family, transitions, and the quiet moments when something inside us whispers, Pay attention.

Rather than rushing toward solutions, we’ll slow down and become curious about what the body is communicating, what hidden patterns may be shaping our experience, and what the present moment is asking of us. Sometimes the answer is action. Sometimes it’s waiting. Often, it’s learning to discern the difference.

My hope is that, over time, these conversations become less about my responses and more about helping you cultivate greater discernment, clarity, and trust in your own inner knowing. If I can offer a mirror, a guiding question, or a simple practice that helps you see more clearly, then the conversation has done its work.

If you have a question you’d like me to explore, I’d love to hear from you. You can post your questions in the comments or in the Chat.

Each week, I’ll select one question to explore here. The person asking will always remain anonymous, but my hope is that, in responding to one person’s question, something meaningful will emerge for many of us.

Love,

Jess

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