Jake Thiessen Biographical Information

Biographical Background

I grew up in a small farming community in central Kansas. After graduating from college with a degree in English, I lived overseas for three years-one year in France and two years on an oasis in the Algerian Sahara where I taught English as a second language. Experiencing the contrast between continents and cultures at a relatively early age began to teach me an appreciation for the differences that naturally occur between people.

Upon returning to the States I began graduate work. My graduate education includes a masters in theology and marriage and family therapy from Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, California which I received in 1977. In 1979 I received my doctorate in marriage and family therapy from Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas. I am licensed in Pennsylvania as a marriage and family therapist and have been a clinical member of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy since 1979. After completing my formal academic education, I taught full time at the college level for fifteen years while maintaining a private practice.

My post-doctoral education includes certifications in Conjugal Relationship Enhancement, Couples Communication, and Focusing. In addition to five years of training in existential-gestalt therapy, I have received ongoing training in couples therapy and couples sex therapy.

I believe my life experience and my profession have taught me to appreciate and respect the unique qualities of each individual's life path.