- With Mayo Clinic behavioral counselor
Jennifer A. Kern, M.S., C.T.T.S.
read biographyclose windowBiography of
Jennifer A. Kern, M.S., C.T.T.S.
Jennifer A. Kern, M.S., C.T.T.S.
Jennifer Kern is a tobacco treatment specialist, certified through the Mayo Clinic Nicotine Dependence Center.
Her counseling work addresses various aspects of tobacco addiction, including the love-hate relationship many tobacco users have with their smoking or chewing, education about nicotine addiction, and effective strategies to help with quitting.
In addition, she explores the importance of getting emotional and social support when stopping tobacco use, and offers ideas and suggestions about how to ask for and give this support.
Being bilingual, she enjoys counseling in both Spanish and English. She holds a master's degree in psychology, with interests including spirituality, psychosomatic illness, depression and anxiety, maladaptive coping behaviors, and overall health behavior change.
"As a former smoker, I am personally familiar with the complexity of dealing with the 'tobacco shackles,' " she said. "I am committed to helping others conquer this addiction so they may regain their freedom and possibly even save their own lives."
Latest entries
- Join the Great American Smokeout
Nov. 17, 2009
- Preparation key to quitting smoking
Nov. 5, 2009
- Learning to be a non-smoker
Oct. 23, 2009
- Build confidence in effort to go smoke-free
Oct. 16, 2009
- Goal-setting helps smooth way to smoke-free future
Oct. 1, 2009
Mayo Clinic Health Manager
Get free personalized health guidance for you and your family.
Get Started
About our e-newsletters
- Free e-newsletters
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- We do not share your e-mail address
Housecall, our weekly general-interest e-newsletter, keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics with timely, reliable, practical information, recipes, blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts and more. Our biweekly topic-specific e-newsletters also include blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts, and other useful information that will help you manage your health.
Housecall Archives
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
Quit smoking blog
-
Aug. 4, 2009
Blog: The emotional aspects of quitting smoking
By Jennifer A. Kern, M.S., C.T.T.S.
At home the other night, I was washing my face when the scent of incense wafted past my nose, stirring up a cloud of memories. Over a few short seconds several images flashed behind my eyelids — my freshman college dorm room, the warm glow of candlelight, my old studio apartment in Paris, hours of quietude and reading, my dog curled up next to me, breathing softly, piano music in the background.
I immediately felt relaxed and peaceful, connected to my self. The scent of the incense I've been using during my private, relaxation time for more than a decade was, by itself, enough to quickly imbue a feeling of comfort with its familiarity and reliability. The same scent traveling with me for years now reminds me of my experiences, of my self.
It reminded me of the personal relationship smokers have with their cigarettes: over the years the cigarette becomes a constant, reliable companion — a source of soothing — a friend with a long history of memories — even a personal identity.
From my counseling experience, I believe that one of the most challenging aspects of stopping smoking is giving up that trustworthy source of comfort. The strong associations and emotional ties to the cigarette can have a gravitational pull that keeps smokers hooked (not to mention the nicotine).
The affinity for cigarettes is multi-layered; it's important to recognize how this relates to you as you move through the process of becoming smoke-free. Coping with the emotional aspects of relinquishing the cigarette is as essential as dealing with the chemical end of the addiction. Seek out support from a counselor like me, or other health professional, if you feel this is keeping you from reaching your goal to be a non-smoker.
How have you coped with change and loss in other areas of your life? What needs to happen in order for you to let the cigarette go and reclaim your true self?
13 comments posted