- With Mayo Clinic behavioral counselor
Jennifer A. Kern, M.S., C.T.T.S.
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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
- Focus on gratitude, not craving a cigarette
Nov. 24, 2009
- 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
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Quit smoking blog
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Jan. 15, 2009
Gradual change key to quitting smoking
By Jennifer A. Kern, M.S., C.T.T.S.
There's nothing like following up the gluttony and indulgence of the holiday season with the promise of completely renouncing pleasure and diving nose-first into the "new you" of the new year.
For most people, New Year's resolutions involve a dramatic shift of some sort in the hope of instantly bringing out the better self. Change, however, is something that rarely comes in one fell swoop, rather it involves a process. And a process, according to Webster, is "a natural phenomenon marked by gradual changes that lead toward a particular result."
Most of us have had the experience of breaking our resolutions nearly as soon as we make them. Part of the reason for this has to do with the "gradual" in the definition above. When we try to change too abruptly, without adequate planning and preparation, our bodies and our psyches struggle to adapt. We are conditioned to act in certain ways — we have automatic responses to different things, people, places or events in our lives. Undoing familiar patterns of behavior takes time and dedication, not to mention planning and persistence.
When quitting smoking or making any kind of lifestyle change the first step is making a decision to do it and then committing to the result. Setting small, doable goals can make the process flow more smoothly so the transition to becoming smoke-free feels more natural.
What are some gradual changes you can make to enhance your chance of success and make 2009 the year you keep your resolution of becoming a non-smoker?
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