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Jennifer Blankenship
About
Hello and welcome! I’m Jennifer Blankenship, a Licensed Independent Mental Health Practitioner (LIMHP), Licensed Mental Health Practitioner (LMHP), and Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Nebraska. I’m based in Omaha and have more than 15 years of experience working in behavioral health, mental health, substance use treatment, and developmental disability services.
Throughout my career, I have worked with people from many different backgrounds and in a variety of settings, including community mental health, inpatient psychiatric care, substance use treatment, developmental disability services, behavioral consultation, and private practice. These experiences have given me a strong appreciation for the complexity of people’s lives and the importance of looking beyond a diagnosis to understand the whole person.
I specialize in working with adolescents and adults experiencing anxiety, depression, trauma, mood disorders, severe mental illness, substance use concerns, autism, developmental disabilities, and other complex life challenges. I primarily use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), while also incorporating approaches such as DBT, ACT, Motivational Interviewing, and Solution-Focused Therapy based on each person’s individual needs.
My approach is practical, collaborative, and nonjudgmental. I believe meaningful change often begins with having a place where you can feel heard, understood, and accepted—even when life feels overwhelming or you aren’t sure what needs to change yet. Therapy is not about judging where you have been or telling you how to live your life. It is about understanding what is happening, identifying what is within your control, and developing practical skills that can help you move toward the life you want.
I believe it is important to be willing to sit with people during difficult moments rather than rushing them through their pain. At the same time, I want therapy to give you tools you can take beyond our sessions. Together, we can work to understand the connection between your thoughts, beliefs, emotions, and behaviors; strengthen coping and communication skills; and develop realistic goals that support meaningful, lasting change.
When you’re ready, I’m here to meet you where you are and help you take the next step.
My passion for working with autistic and neurodivergent individuals has grown from many years of working alongside people with developmental disabilities in a variety of roles and settings. Throughout my career, I have had the opportunity to get to know individuals beyond a diagnosis and to recognize the unique strengths, perspectives, personalities, and abilities each person brings to the world.
These experiences have also shown me how often autistic and neurodivergent people are expected to adapt to environments that were not designed with their needs in mind. What may be viewed as a behavior or a problem can sometimes be a person’s way of communicating a need, coping with an overwhelming situation, or trying to navigate expectations that do not fit how they experience the world.
That understanding is a major reason I chose to specialize in this area. I want to provide a space where clients do not feel that they have to become someone else in order to be successful. Instead, I work to understand each person as an individual, build on their strengths, and help them develop practical strategies for the areas of life that are challenging for them.
My goal is to help autistic and neurodivergent clients better understand themselves, advocate for their needs, strengthen relationships, and build lives that feel meaningful and authentic to who they are.
I approach therapy from the belief that every person already brings strengths, abilities, interests, and lived experiences that can become powerful resources for growth. Rather than focusing on what is “wrong” or trying to make someone fit a particular definition of normal, I work to understand how each person experiences the world and what is meaningful to them.
With autistic and neurodivergent clients, this means recognizing that differences in communication, emotional regulation, sensory needs, social interaction, or ways of thinking are not simply deficits to be corrected. I focus on helping clients recognize and build upon their strengths, better understand their individual needs, and develop strategies that work for them.
My role is to provide a compassionate and affirming space where clients can be themselves without judgment or pressure to mask who they are. Together, we identify what is already working, explore areas where additional support may be helpful, and build practical skills that increase confidence, self-advocacy, independence, and overall well-being. Ultimately, I want clients to leave therapy with a stronger understanding of themselves and greater confidence in their ability to create a life that reflects their own goals, values, and potential.
