Episode 39: Jennifer Swantkowski, Ph.D. - Victim, Advocate, Author

Benzodiazepine Awareness with Geraldine Burns

Jennifer Swantkowski has her masters in social work from the University of Houston, a post-graduate fellowship in End of Life Care, and a PhD in Clinical Social Work from Smith College in Northampton, MA. She has worked as a family therapist at the Austen Riggs Center in Stockbridge, MA and was an adjunct professor at Boston College. She then returned to Houston, Texas where she served as an individual and family therapist at. The Menninger Clinic, was an instructor for individuals conducting their post-graduate Fellowships at Menninger and was also an adjunct professor at the University of Houston. For the last ten years, Jennifer has been in private practice working with adults providing individual and couples counseling. In her practice, she focused mainly on professionals dealing with issues such as anxiety, addiction and relationship struggles; as well as young adults who were failing to launch in their lives. Unfortunately, due to a neuro-toxic reaction to an antibiotic and subsequent struggle to come off the benzodiazepine prescribed for that injury, Jennifer stepped away from her clinical practice in 2020. During this time away, she has focused on healing as well as heavily researching medication injury and benzodiazepine withdrawal. She has written a book called The Waiting Room: My Journey of Recovery from Medication Injury and Benzodiazepine Withdrawal that will be out in early July of this summer. She is currently working on a second book and creating YouTube videos on her channel ( jenniferswanphd) where she discusses various issues related to benzodiazepine withdrawal as well as a separate series called Therapy from the Sidelines where she discusses a wide array of psychological topics. She is passionate about being a part of advocacy and awareness efforts and serves as a member of the Medical Advisory Board for the Benzodiazepine Information Coalition.