About Jennifer Kempfert

People fascinate me.

I do my job because I love people. I love hearing their stories and seeing them be… well… them!

I read books and attend trainings on mental health for fun, which tells me I am definitely in the right profession!

Personable, easy to talk to, and direct are a few ways I have been described.

My career unknowingly began…

… when I volunteered at an orphanage in Russia during college.

As I played dolls with a 10-year-old girl in a room she shared with three others, I couldn’t help but recall the image of a dark car picking up girls outside the orphanage – girls just a few years older than her. I was scared that would be her future, too.

Later in the trip, I went to a family center where the goal was to help families avoid the social pitfalls that create orphans in the first place. Working on prevention and giving these families hope inspired me to become a marriage and family therapist. My mission is to help families stay together and live happier, healthier lives.

After graduate school…

I did in-home therapy in Wisconsin. Working with people in their homes showed me that there’s no “right way” to live. I see those experiences as foundational in the nonjudgmental, tailored approach to therapy I use today.

I’ve also worked in hospitals in Chicago and Colorado, focusing on crisis and stabilization. When people arrive at a hospital, they’re often at their most vulnerable – using their last option for help. Being a safe presence for them during these low times taught me compassion on a greater level.

I returned to Wisconsin to build this private practice.

I wanted to combine my trauma-informed treatment experience, nonjudgmental stance, and compassion for others in my practice.

When you come to Forward Family Therapy, we’ll bring out the best in you. Whether you need to talk, learn new skills, get in touch with your body, play, or move, we’re here for you.

You’ll find us engaging and ready to meet you where you are!

In my free time…

Besides spending time with family, I enjoy trail running, traveling, cycling, and skydiving.