Our vision is to help people leverage psychology to improve their lives and make their village and the world a better place.
Your Village Journey is a place to learn, connect, and reflect on the many joys and challenges of being a human in our fast-paced and complicated modern world. YVJ aims to be an inclusive space, a resource-sharing platform for parents and educators, and a place to turn with like-minded people who get it, and who are here to help.
Dr. Jennifer Doran is a clinical psychologist who is licensed in New York and Connecticut. She graduated with honors from The New School for Social Research in their clinical psychology doctorate program. She is an expert in psychotherapy process and outcome, assessment, trauma/PTSD, and telemental health. She is an established leader in the field and a passionate advocate for mental health and wellness for all.
Dr. Jessica Lawson is a clinical psychologist, licensed in New York and Connecticut, and an assistant professor at Yale University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry. She received her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology, Yeshiva University. She specializes in health psychology and trauma-informed psychotherapy, with expertise in health behavior change, treatment for eating disorders and weight management, sleep, and stress management, as well as the provision of clinical services via telemental health modalities.
Our Values
Our dream is for YVJ to foster a supportive community and to be a platform for bringing psychology to individuals and families. It truly does take a village, and we are honored to be a part of yours.
We Bring Psychology to You
YVJ is here to help you improve your mood and overall quality of life; to help you find joy in your journey, wherever you can, whenever you can.
Access high-quality information about a range of important topics facing parents and families today.
Our Blog posts and Videos are designed to be short in nature – something you can tune into for 5 minutes a day or less!
One of the most important steps you can take to improve your mental health is to consult with a mental health professional.
Check out videos and interviews of Jennifer and Jessica sharing their knowledge.
Latest Hot Topics
The Reframe Game
Today we want to share a super helpful psych skill with you: Reframing (or, for parents, How to Get Your Kids to Do What You Want) [read more]
Smart Phones – The New Pacifier
The many problems associated with youth smart phone use is not new. In fact, you have probably heard many chastising messages about them (see the Surgeon General Warning here) and, if you are being completely honest, rolled your eyes to at least a few of them). As parents, we get [read more]
Radical Acceptance
At YVJ, we know that sometimes life throws us curveballs. Despite our best efforts and meticulous planning, life can get in the way – big time. What we do when it all falls apart matters – we can let the curveballs knock us out or find a way to persevere [read more]