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Jennifer Austin Leigh PsyD
Jennifer Austin Leigh (Born 1958 Jacksonville, Florida) is a life coach for teen girls and their mothers and an award winning author. Know to her clients as Dr Jenn, she is one of only a handful of professionals specializing in helping teen girls successfully navigate the transition to adulthood.

Dr Jenn is a pioneer in the introduction of creative alternatives to positively impact the lives of teen girls helping them to grow into competent, caring, compassionate, wonderful women. She is America’s number one teen girl and teen parenting expert. Founded by Dr Jenn in 2003, Ignite Reality LLC Dr Jenn for Girls is the creative center for developing and distributing the Dream Girl  material, lecture series, media and publications, most notably the “Dr Jenn’s Pajama  Parties” and  ‘Creative Play” events.

Dr Jenn initially earned recognition for her book A Little Book of Listening Skills when it was awarded the Fresh Voices Award by Writers market Association. Dr Jenn reaches out to teen girls, utilizing their media, blogs. She was the first to utilize the power of a VSN, MySpaceto do research around the world with teens. Her latest book from the “You just don’t get it” series is Girl’s, You Just Don’t Get It; the result of her research. The book is the first self-help book for teen girls, told from a male perspective, with traditional psychology and neuroscience included.

Trained in traditional psychology, Dr Leigh has created an alternative non-traditional approach to helping teens. She has taken the latest research in Interpersonal Neurobiology and translated it into layman’s terms helping clients understand how the teenage brains functions. She helps devise ways in which families can help their daughters grow their brains. She explains then builds on the fact that teens make decisions from the limbic system of the brain, the emotionally reactive area, as opposed to their prefrontal cortex, the executive functioning part of the brain. The prefrontal doesn’t mature until the mid 20’s. Dr Jenn draws from a unique tool box that includes:


 * Events like the “The Creative “Hood” -- a multifunctional gathering where teens exchange, stimulate and inspire in an enriched environment.


 * “Dr. Jenn's Pajama Parties”-- teens learn the effect of the media on their lives and how to make better decisions while gaining more self respect.
 * Home stay program -- where she works one-on-one with clients, in their homes facilitating communication and understanding.


 * Creating a teen environment – working with the family to create a lounge, a place to chill out and be safe. Turning a home space it into a fun, teen haven where they can hang out in safety.

Dr Leigh earned a doctorate in psychology from California Southern University 2007 and a Bachelor in Fine Arts from Mills College, Oakland, California 1981. She is the mother of four children, including a set of twins. Born less than four years apart, she has been in the teen trenches with her own children, learning and researching.

Recognition
The Little Book of Listening Skills was awarded the Fresh Voices Award in 2007.