meet jenny

Jenny Wagner, Founder and Director of Everlight Counseling & Education LLC, brings more than 30 years of experience supporting adults, children, and families across Wisconsin. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from UW–Eau Claire, a Master’s degree from Capella University. Jenny is also a Certified Paralegal, Certified Grief Support Specialist, and is currently completing her Substance Abuse Counselor license via UW–Madison.

Jenny’s career began as a middle school teacher, where she developed a strong foundation in child development and family systems. After completing her paralegal degree, she moved into legal advocacy, coordinating the legal department for a domestic violence agency and ultimately being asked to serve on the  Governor’s Council on Domestic Violence. Jenny has spent thousands of hours in courtrooms advocating for her clients and learning how the criminal, family, CHIPS/child welfare, civil, and tenant law systems operate. Although not an attorney and unable to provide legal advice, Jenny uses her knowledge and experience to guide clients toward useful information and supportive legal resources.

As a Certified Parent Coach, Jenny has helped families strengthen relationships, improve communication, and navigate complex emotions and behaviors with confidence and compassion. After experiencing multiple family losses, she became a Certified Grief Support Specialist and deepened her understanding of how one person’s experience can affect the entire family system. This insight strengthened her expertise in grief, trauma, physical and emotional safety, and both person-centered and family-centered support.

For almost a decade, Jenny worked as an advanced practice adoption social worker, supporting both birth and adoptive parents, with a special focus on LGBTQIA families. Her commitment to equity and belonging is reflected in her service on local boards, including the Immigration Project of Wisconsin, Oregon Area Food Pantry, Oregon Youth Center, and Oregon Community Resource Network.

Jenny has volunteered at a local sexual assault agency, answering the crisis line and accompanying victims/survivors through SANE exams. She also held a court-focused position within a Child Sexual Assault Prevention and Treatment agency, primarily working with clients involved in CHIPS/child welfare cases and the juvenile justice system.

Jenny brings warmth, knowledge, and respectful guidance to every interaction. She believes people thrive when they feel emotionally and physically safe, supported, and connected. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to healing, and Jenny draws from personal and professional experience to create individualized plans that honor each client’s strengths and goals.

When she is not working, Jenny enjoys spending time with her husband, two teenagers, and two dogs (but not always in that order because, let's face it, her dogs are pretty cute). She is a creative person who loves her home art studio, reading from her ever-growing library, attending concerts with her kids—even when she has no idea who is performing—and relaxing at her husband’s family's “Lincoln Log” cabin, built in the 1800s.