
Greetings! I’m Jenn Altman.
I write for human beings who are interested in diving deep into their present-moment experiences living in a body. I distill research on mindfulness and body into bite-sized, enjoyable reads and share how to apply the knowledge.
The interplay between the psychosocial and physiological elements specifically associated with mindfulness and the body has been a lifelong fascination. This interplay is the thread that ties together my diverse studies and experiences in mindfulness, clinical psychology and kinesiology.
Throughout my childhood I found refuge and reward in athletics. I ultimately attended college on a basketball scholarship. Over the course of my athletic career I experienced the highs of maximal physical functioning and the lows of injury. I also witnessed the deep impact of eating disorders and injury. Concurrently, I witnessed the suffering associated with chronic illness, and experienced the eventual loss of family members and friends to disease. Experiencing the pain, emotional and physical, as well as the joy that can stem from the constantly changing body, I have always been struck by the impact an individual’s relationship with their body can have on lived experience, particularly in identity and health.
I have a 20+ year history professionally exploring mind and body.
- I’ve worked on research projects utilizing various psychological interventions with individuals living with cancer, spinal cord injury, pain, injection drug use, HIV/AIDS, college students, and women going through perimenopause;
- as a mindfulness teacher and as a therapist I’ve worked with a wide range of individuals facing these same health experiences, and several other conditions such as stroke, TBI, cardiac disease, trauma, and general life and relationship stress;
- With my background in kinesiology I’ve also worked in corporate wellness, outdoor fitness boot camps, personal training, nutrition consulting, and as a collegiate coach.
This is not a passing fancy—I have really lived and explored this intersection of mind and body from multiple angles!
I completed my post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Washington School of Medicine studying mindfulness-based, behavioral, and cognitive interventions for chronic pain and in multiple sclerosis. Since that time I have continued my work as a clinical psychologist in practice, teaching, and supervision of psychologists-in-training. I remain with the University of Washington as a research scientist.
When I’m not doing a deep dive into mindfulness and body I can be found curled up at home with my family, enjoying a good book, working on house projects, or adventuring outdoors. Fun fact: I went back to school for my doctoral degree in my mid-30s and graduated after 40. It is never too late! The time will pass anyway, might as well spend it living from your heart.
*Jenn earned her PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of Louisville in Louisville, KY. During her time there she also earned the designation of Qualified Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) teacher through the UMass Medical School Center for Mindfulness. In 2015 she was awarded an Early Career Researcher Summer School Bursary to the Oxford Mindfulness Centre in England. Previously she earned her masters degree in kinesiology from California State University, Long Beach; and undergraduate degrees in psychology, exercise physiology, and social psychological perspectives on sport and exercise from the University of Northern Colorado.