About Jennifer Chaiken, LMFT & Emmalee Bierly, LMFT
Therapists, founders of The Therapy Group, and co-hosts of the ShrinkChicks mental health & relationships podcast.
We’re Jennifer Chaiken and Emmalee Bierly
therapists, founders, and the co-hosts behind the top-rated ShrinkChicks mental health & relationships podcast.
Emmalee Bierly, LMFT
With over a decade of experience as a licensed marriage and family therapist, Emmalee Bierly has worked extensively with individuals, couples, and families, helping them navigate challenges and discover new ways to thrive. She is especially passionate about supporting mothers as they face the profound transitions of parenthood, offering both compassion and practical tools to help them balance the demands of motherhood with their own identity and well-being.
Emmalee is known for her direct yet deeply supportive approach. She believes therapy should be a place where clients feel safe enough to be open, but also encouraged to make meaningful changes. Her style combines honesty, warmth, and practicality, creating an environment where clients feel both cared for and empowered.
Grounded in systemic and relational frameworks, Emmalee tailors her work to meet each client’s unique needs. Whether helping a couple rebuild trust, guiding a mother through overwhelm, or supporting an individual in self-discovery, she is committed to creating lasting change through authentic connection and self-awareness.
Beyond her work with clients, Emmalee has also transformed her love for therapy into a commitment to supporting other clinicians. As an AAMFT Approved Supervisor, she mentors and guides therapists in their professional journeys, helping them grow in their skills while also encouraging them to connect with clients in meaningful, down-to-earth ways.
Jennifer Chaiken, LMFT
With over a decade of experience, Jennifer Chaiken has dedicated her career to helping couples and individuals heal, grow, and build stronger connections. Her work focuses on supporting clients in repairing childhood wounds, practicing reparenting, and learning how to create deeper, more authentic relationships with themselves and others.
Jennifer’s clinical style is warm, empowering, and direct. She believes that lasting change happens in the context of real connection, and she prioritizes building a therapeutic relationship that feels both safe and motivating. Clients often describe her as someone who offers deep compassion while also challenging them to step into growth.
Drawing from Relational Life Therapy (RLT), Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), and attachment-based approaches, Jennifer helps clients identify unhelpful patterns and move toward more fulfilling ways of living and loving. Her goal is always to empower people to create change that not only transforms their relationships but also reshapes how they see themselves.
In addition to her clinical work, Jennifer has turned her love for therapy into a passion for supporting other clinicians. Through mentorship and training, she helps fellow therapists grow in their craft, develop confidence, and bring the same warmth, authenticity, and effectiveness to their own practices.
Together, we created
ShrinkChicks & The Therapy Group
We recognized that all human beings could benefit from therapy, but many kept themselves from the experience. We dedicated ourselves to creating a unique therapeutic environment and podcast that would open therapy up to even the most skeptical.
We built The Therapy Group & ShrinkChicks based on 4 principles:
De-stigmatizing Therapy: Therapy at The Therapy Group is for anyone who is human. (although you may meet some four legged friends at our offices). We all need a place to feel like we can safely express ourselves.
Creating a Non-judgemental Environment: No matter what you are going through, we strive to create a non-judgmental environment where you feel welcomed, accepted and can talk freely about your experience.
We are Human Beings First, Therapists Second: We make it a point to be real with you. To be human beings and to connect with you on that level. We take a down-to-earth approach using humor, our personalities, our love and caring for others and of course, our training. We want you to feel like you’re talking to a REAL person, not someone who is throwing psychobabble at you.
Connecting With YOU as a Person, Not “Your Problem.”: We believe that you are NOT your problem. We want to get to know you, who you are, what makes you you, and help you work through what you’re bringing into therapy. You are not defined by your struggle.