Dr. Jennifer Dragonette, PsyD
Clinical Services Instructor
Dr. Jennifer Dragonette is dedicated to helping young adults and families make meaningful changes in their lives so that they can live authentic, healthy lifestyles. Dr. Dragonette was instrumental in establishing Newport Academy’s Northern California campus in 2018 and has served as an Executive Director in the Newport family since then. Dr. Dragonette firmly believes in the integrated approach of Newport’s treatment, and guides clients through a series of clinical and therapeutic methods to strengthen their psychological, physical, emotional, relational, and spiritual health. To accomplish this, she utilizes a personalized curriculum that highlights the importance of relationships during the recovery process to set clients on a sustainable and fulfilling path.
Dr. Jennifer Dragonette is dedicated to helping young adults and families make meaningful changes in their lives so that they can live authentic, healthy lifestyles. Dr. Dragonette was instrumental in establishing Newport Academy’s Northern California campus in 2018 and has served as an Executive Director in the Newport family since then. Dr. Dragonette firmly believes in the integrated approach of Newport’s treatment, and guides clients through a series of clinical and therapeutic methods to strengthen their psychological, physical, emotional, relational, and spiritual health. To accomplish this, she utilizes a personalized curriculum that highlights the importance of relationships during the recovery process to set clients on a sustainable and fulfilling path.
Dr. Dragonette has appeared in the L.A. Times and PopSugar and is the go-to expert for publications such as Bustle, VeryWell Family, and Refinery29. As a certified expert in the field of behavioral health, she has advised on a wide array of mental health issues such as PTSD, eating disorders, Munchausen Syndrome, and clinical depression.
Clinical Expertise
At Newport Institute, Dr. Dragonette’s clinical approach focuses on Attachment-Based Family Therapy and other modalities that work with the whole family as a system, as well as holistic wellness approaches. She is a strong advocate for Trauma-Informed Care and understanding the wide-ranging impact of early trauma, and works closely with individuals around themes of attachment, codependency, and anxiety. Dr. Dragonette is also an expert in the field of Epigenetics, an emerging and intriguing field which explores the ways in which our genes can turn on and off based on our life experiences and environment. Dr. Jennifer Dragonette utilizes a variety of modalities to help young adults who suffer from mental health issues derived from childhood and/or unresolved trauma, including Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).
Advice I Would Give My 20-Something Self
When you’re having a tough day – and those happen! – it’s essential to understand how to step back. This is where mindfulness comes in—taking the time to pause and acknowledge that you’re feeling a certain emotion right now, and that this emotion is telling you something important. Feelings are just information that we need to pay attention to; avoiding our feelings or trying to ignore the messages from our experiences leads to suffering. No matter how much support you have from friends, family, and loved ones, the healing process really begins when you make the personal decision to make a positive change in your life. There is extreme strength that stems from our internal motivations; therefore, this pivotal decision must come from within.
Credentials
- Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (PsyD) from PGSP-Stanford PsyD Consortium
- Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Princeton University
- Diploma from Phillips Exeter Academy
Selected Achievements
- Former Director of Behavioral Health for Petaluma Health Center
- Former Behavioral Health Manager for Kaiser Permanente
- Former Federal Investigator for Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
- Featured in the L.A. Times for creating a ‘Parenting Through Crisis’ class during the 2017 California wildfires
Press Contact Info
For press inquiries, please contact:
media@newportinstitute.com
