Education
- School of Mental Health and Social Work
Areas of Interest
School of Mental Health and Social Work
Biography
Dr. Jennifer Williams is an Associate Professor in the School of Social Work and a trauma-focused psychotherapist whose work centers on neurobiology, trauma, and the mind-body connection. She is passionate about helping people rewire their nervous systems, release trauma, and heal at the root by blending science, story, and spirit. A two-time Barry alumna, she earned her MSW in 1998 and her PhD in 2016. While pursuing her MSW, she met her husband, a fellow Barry graduate.
Over more than 28 years in clinical practice and 23 years in academia, including 10 years as BSW Program Director, Dr. Williams has dedicated her career to weaving together rigorous scholarship, embodied healing, and compassionate service. Long before mind–body approaches were mainstream, she explored them for her own health; when her husband was later diagnosed with leukemia, these practices became a lifeline and a calling, deepening her commitment to validating integrative approaches through science and teaching.
She completed advanced training in mind–body medicine at Harvard and interpersonal neurobiology at UCLA, informing innovative MSW and DSW courses she created in neurobiology and trauma-informed interventions. She is the author of the textbook Pathways to Safety: Integrating Neurobiology into Trauma-Informed Clinical Practice, co-creator of the post-master’s Mindfulness in Therapeutic Practice certificate and the Trauma Responsive Webinar Series, and the architect of a lifelong learning series and “A Literary Gathering for Intellectual Diversity,” all designed to expand perspectives and foster meaningful dialogue.
Her grant-funded research on mindfulness-based interventions in a Title 1 school has been presented internationally, and her community work has been recognized through awards including Broward County Public Schools Volunteer of the Year and NASW Broward Social Work Educator of the Year. Through teaching, mentorship, and community-engaged scholarship, Dr. Williams strives to live Barry’s core commitments to knowledge and truth, inclusive community, social justice, and collaborative service.