Meet Jordanna Saunders, MC, LPC, NCC
Founder & CEO | Therapist | Clinical Supervisor | Author & Trainer
I help people heal from trauma and support the professionals and organizations doing that work.
As a Diné (Navajo) woman raised in Crownpoint, New Mexico, my commitment to accessible, culturally responsive care is personal. I founded Trauma Recovery Services of Arizona to expand access to trauma treatment, especially for Indigenous and underserved communities. My work brings together cultural understanding, clinical experience, compassion, and a sense of humor.
Therapy & Direct Practice
I’m a Licensed Professional Counselor and EMDR Certified Therapist. I work with people navigating PTSD, sexual assault, domestic violence, race-based trauma, anxiety, and life transitions. My approach is collaborative and draws on evidence-based treatment, with attention to each person’s culture, identity, and lived experience. I have advanced experience working with addictions and co-occurring disorders in outpatient and integrated care settings. I have worked in outpatient treatment centers, mental health centers, hospitals, jails and in private practice. I work well with high achievers, first responders, Veterans and members of the public.
Clinical Supervision
As an Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners–approved clinical supervisor, I provide individual supervision for TRSAZ staff and am opening a limited number of spots for counselors establishing a supervised private practice. I help clinicians strengthen clinical judgment, build confidence, and develop ethical, sustainable practices.
Customized Training
I provide live, in-person and virtual workshops, as well as on-demand training, tailored to an organization’s goals and the communities it serves. Topics include cultural competency, working with Indigenous clients, and the intersections of culture, trauma, and evidence-based practice. My teaching incorporates feminist, multi-cultural and developmental perspectives, connecting clinical concepts with practical application.
My training audiences have included the Arizona Counseling Association, North Carolina Counseling Association, Arizona State Hospital, Be Connected, and on-demand training organizations. Sessions range from one-hour presentations to 90-minute workshops and three-hour trainings.
Writing & Curriculum Collaboration
I’m available for book chapters, articles, and curriculum collaboration. My publications include a chapter on working with Native Americans for the American Counseling Association, an article for NAMI on working with American Indians, and a chapter on culturally informed EMDR therapy with American Indians.
Outside of work, I’m a mom, artist, and Navajo weaver. These parts of my life keep me connected to the creativity, relationships, and community that sustain healing.
For therapy, supervised private practice, training, or writing inquiries, contact j.saunders@trsofaz.com.
Rez life
She left home on the Rez to attend college. This was when she realized: 1) she was a "minority" and 2) women were not in charge in the broader context of America 3)there were a lot of people who had a lot more money than she/her family did. These insights propelled her to work hard, find meaning in her work, to improve communities and to share what she's learned with others.
Jordanna grew up in a Tribal community that has been negatively impacted by genocide/historical trauma and has seen and experienced first-hand what happens when healing and reconciliation doesn’t occur in a systemic and sustained manner. Indigenous and people of color/people from underserved communities experience shortened life spans, reduced quality of life. Indigenous women experience violence at much higher rates than non-Indigenous women & often deal with PTSD with little to no professional support. For these reasons and more, Jordanna’s work focuses on improving access to trauma informed mental health services utilizing technology in Indigenous communities.
Work history
Much of her work has been helping the underserved and in BIPOC communities.
She has several years of clinical & management experience providing counseling services in a variety of settings, including mental health clinics, hospitals, jails, and residential facilities. She has worked both in Urban settings as well as in Frontier & Reservation Communities.
Leadership/honors
Jordanna is a former Board Member for the Arizona Counseling Association (AZCA) and was the first head of the Diversity Committee.
She was a member of the first cohort of the Indigenous Leadership Academy facilitated by Arizona State University under the American Indian Policy Institute.
Jordanna is a former AIGC Graduate Fellow, former Navajo Nation Chief Manuelito Scholar, an American Indians into Psychology (AIIP) Fellow (via the University of Oklahoma) & completed the first Project LIFT cohort--a National Behavioral Health Leadership Program for American Behavioral Health Leaders facilitated by SAMHSA & Abt Associates.
She is a former Board Member for the Arizona Board for Certification of Addiction Counselors. She has done research in multiple areas both as an undergrad and graduate student. She has also supervised and facilitated State and Federal grants in her past leadership positions.
She recently authored a book chapter titled, Culturally Informed Recommendations for EMDR Therapy with American Indians which is available in the book, Cultural Competence and Healing Culturally Based Trauma with EMDR Therapy: Innovative Strategies and Protocols. The book can be found here.
Mentorship, Training and Advocacy Work
She is an avid advocate of the development of future behavioral health leaders and has presented for various agencies and programs including: the Arizona Counselors Association, Indian Health Services (Phoenix Area and National), Arizona State Hospital & multiple Urban and Rural health care providers/agencies. Jordanna is scheduled to continue training for local and national Counseling organizations.
As an Indigenous social entrepreneur she has recently presented at the 2022 Native Women Lead Conference and is a Matriarch Restoration Fund Recipient.
In 2022, she began providing EMDR training under the guidance and direction of EMDRIA approved BIPOC consultants and deeply believes that social change can happen through the direct practice of EMDR therapy in underserved communities.
Jordanna is a current Integrated Minority Health Fellowship Program (IMFP) Mentor and provides mentorship to graduate level Counseling students who have made a commitment to work in underserved communities.
Jordanna is a Clinical Supervisor and is on the Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Clinical Supervisor Registry.
Professional Specialities:
Jordanna has extensive experience working with substance use disorders, mental health concerns, co-occurring issues and is a trauma trained therapist. She works extensively using EMDR and is Certified in EMDR. She works well with health care providers, lawyers, first responders, female identifying sexual abuse/neglect/incest survivors. TRSA specializes in race based stress and trauma, social justice is at the core of our work. We believe trauma can be overcome and that healing can happen using technology via Telehealth.
She is also trained in the Duluth Model (Working with Men who Batter) as well as several other evidence based psychotherapy practices (motivational interviewing, cognitive behavioral therapy, etc.).
Professional Affiliations:
She’s a member of several professional organizations including the American Counseling Association, the Employee Assistance Professional Organization, & EMDRIA (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing International Association); she is also a member of the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation
Patients at Trauma Recovery Services of Arizona benefit from Jordanna’s extensive training and experience in delivering EMDR and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Both EMDR and CBT enable patients to explore their thoughts, memories, and emotions in a safe space. They learn to manage the distress and if they so choose-to heal the wounds from the past.
In addition to helping patients learn to cope with past trauma, Jordanna also helps patients with mental health conditions including depression and anxiety as well as navigating common challenges including divorce, loss of a loved one, career transition, and more.
All these experiences have improved her ability to provide supervision, counseling and mentorship to clients, staff, contractors and stakeholders of Trauma Recovery Services of Arizona.