A faith that makes room for truth.
I’m drawn to biblical context, the character of God, and the ways our interpretations affect real lives. I want to ask difficult questions without losing tenderness or intellectual honesty.
A life devoted
to healing.
A voice for hope.
I’m Jessica. My work lives at the intersection of psychology, faith, and the stories we carry—with a belief that love should help people find their voice.
Faith. Courage. Room to become.
Heal trauma.Break cycles.Strengthen families.Restore hope.
The person behind the work
Many interests.
One steady purpose.
“I thought I was keeping the peace, but I was erasing myself.”
I’m Jessica Gaffney, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, writer, theologian, and advocate.
My clinical work has shaped the questions I bring to everything else: What makes a relationship safe? How do we recover our voice? What happens when the language of faith becomes a burden instead of a source of hope?
Through writing and conversation, I explore those questions with both conviction and curiosity. My Christian faith is central to my life, and I make room for honest questions, thoughtful scholarship, and the lived experience of people who have been hurt.
This is a home for the whole of that work: the books taking shape, questions of faith and equality, and the mission that connects them.
What keeps me curious
Where my heart and mind meet.
Words that help us feel seen.
Memoir, fiction, and conversations about trauma offer different ways to name what has been hard to explain—and imagine a life beyond survival.
Safer homes. Stronger voices.
Domestic-violence prevention, children’s well-being, and healing-centered parenting matter deeply to me. My focus is on interrupting cycles of harm and building safety, accountability, and connection.
Books & writing
Love. Growing up. Finding your voice.
Explore my work through the LOVE Principle, books for teen readers, and my trauma memoir.
The LOVE Principle
Listen. Observe. Validate. Encourage.
A practical framework for expressing love through everyday actions—helping people feel heard, understood, and supported.
Explore the principle
Listen with attention. Observe with care. Validate another person’s experience. Encourage their growth. My developing children’s book, What Love Is All About, brings these ideas into everyday life for young readers.
Stories for Teen Readers
Stories of relationships, loss, faith, and finding a voice while growing up.
Explore the books
Waking Marissa — also listed as Drawing Marissa.
Published under Jessica Gaffney and Jessica Adriel.
Every Last Breath
My personal story of trauma, survival, and finding my way back to my own voice.
Inside the memoir
A reflection on the cost of holding everything together, the experience of losing yourself, and the work of rebuilding a life in which your own voice matters.
My life mission
Make love something
we can practice.
My mission is to help people heal from trauma, break cycles of harm, and build relationships where safety and dignity have a place.
The L.O.V.E. Principle gives that purpose a practical language. Through The L.O.V.E. Institute, my writing, and my advocacy, I return to four simple actions:
Listen
Give someone the space to speak—and the attention to be heard.
Observe
Notice feelings, needs, and patterns with curiosity and care.
Validate
Recognize another person’s experience and honor their dignity.
Encourage
Support growth, strengthen a voice, and make room for hope.
Connect with my work
Space for reflection.
Support for what comes next.
Faith, equality & dignity
Explore the questions that shape my writing about domestic violence, misogyny, equality, and healing.
Explore my perspectiveRestorative Weekends
Individual and small-group experiences for people preparing for divorce or rebuilding afterward, with room for reflection, creative expression, and rest.
The program is in development. Dates, locations, pricing, and booking are not yet available.
Explore weekends at The Trauma Expert →Better Decisions Therapy
Explore my therapy practice and take the next step toward individualized care.
Visit the practice