Meet Jessica Burfield, LMFT (she/her)
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist | Perinatal, Birth Trauma, and Midlife Therapy in Madison, WI
When a New Season Doesn’t Feel Like You Expected
Even changes you wanted can bring feelings you didn’t see coming. Anxiety, guilt, or a sense of losing yourself can show up as you become a parent, recover from a difficult birth, or move through midlife. You deserve room to talk about what this season is really like for you.
Many of the women I work with carry a lot of guilt. Guilt about how their pregnancy or birth went. Guilt about not feeling present in those early postpartum months. Guilt about not “enjoying every moment.” In midlife, it can sound different: guilt for turning inward or not pushing as hard as they once did.
You might also be quietly afraid that a therapist will think you’re a bad parent. You can talk about the thoughts that scare you here without having to defend what kind of parent you are. So many new parents tell me they feel alone in this. You aren’t.
Real Conversations, With Room to Laugh
I’m approachable and authentic with my clients, and there’s usually room for a laugh, even when we’re talking about hard things. You can tell me what’s on your mind, and we’ll decide together what feels most important to focus on.
Our first few sessions are about getting to know each other. I’ll take time to understand you and what you’re hoping to get out of therapy. We’ll also look at the relationships in your life, including your partner, friends, and the family you grew up in, and how they may be affecting you now.
How I Help You Through Life’s Big Transitions
My work centers on major life changes, from pregnancy and becoming a parent through midlife and the empty nest years. Many of my clients are women, but I also work with dads and partners moving through these same transitions.
- Pregnancy and postpartum: Support for moms and dads with perinatal anxiety and depression, and the guilt that can come with new parenthood.
- Birth trauma: EMDR, including specialized training in EMDR for birth trauma, to help you process a difficult or frightening birth, whether you gave birth or were there to witness it.
- Midlife and empty nest: Space to explore who you are as your kids grow up and leave home and your priorities shift. For many women, perimenopause brings changes of its own.
- Couples therapy: Gottman-informed support for couples navigating big changes together, like becoming parents or adjusting to an empty nest.
- Premarital counseling: Gottman-informed support for couples preparing for marriage.
I work with adults 22 and older and draw on approaches including EMDR, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and the Gottman Method. If another therapist’s approach or schedule is a better fit, our intake coordinator can help you explore your options.
Signs Therapy Is Starting to Help
One early sign I love is when a client tells me they’ve been thinking about our conversations between sessions.
Their answers become more reflective, too.
Over time, clients often notice more self-awareness and self-compassion, and they begin to see how past experiences are shaping how they feel today.
Why I Do This Work
As a former birth and postpartum doula, I saw how much individuals and families needed continued support as they adjusted to a new stage of life. I wanted to help women feel less alone in that experience, which led me to become a therapist.
I’ve long been curious about how our experiences and relationships shape us. I’m also a mom of three teenagers. Currently, I’m navigating middle age and the move toward an empty nest. These are really significant transitions, and I want people to have a place to talk honestly about them, including the parts they feel guilty admitting.
Jessica’s Education, License & Training
Education
- Master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy, Edgewood College
- Bachelor’s degree in Social Welfare, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Licenses
- Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), Wisconsin
Selected Trainings and Certifications
- EMDR Levels 1 and 2 training with an EMDRIA-approved trainer.
- EMDR for Birth Trauma, Pria Alpern, PhD, Manhattan Center for Trauma Studies
- Perinatal Mood Disorders: Components of Care, Postpartum Support International
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for Women’s Mental Health
- Perinatal Loss from Nurturing Mama’s Network
- Gottman Level 1 Clinical Training
- Inclusion and implicit bias Learning Collaborative with Niquanna Barnett, LMFT
- Supporting Clients Through Infertility and Pregnancy Loss
- Ongoing training in postpartum anxiety, women’s mental health, and perimenopause
