Jennifer Szymaszek is a photographer, integrative psychotherapist and herbalist based in New York City. Her work, whether behind the camera, with individuals, or with plants, is driven by a lifelong passion for exploring the sacred connection between all of life and helping others feel a deeper sense of belonging in the world.

Jennifer began her photography career as a freelance news and documentary photographer and later as a documentary filmmaker. She worked for over a decade in both New York and Mexico City, drawn to stories often overlooked or underreported by mainstream media. Much of her earlier work focused on humanizing the plight of immigrants, emphasizing our shared humanity and interdependence, across borders. She co-produced and shot In the Shadow of the Raid, an independent short documentary that recounts the devastating impact of one of the largest immigration raids in US history, and its fallout on an Iowan farm town and Guatemalan village. A version of the film later aired on PBS/Frontline World. Her photography and films have also been featured in numerous outlets and venues, including The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times Magazine, Monocle, The Observer, The Houston Chronicle, The Associated Press, Reuters and the UNDP, among others.

Over time, Jennifer’s process of integrating her work in psychotherapy, herbalism, and healing traditions such as Buddhism has profoundly influenced her photographic vision. Her work strives to highlight the intricate connection between the individual psyche and the external world, recognizing that global events often mirror personal struggles and harmful collective paradigms.  Witnessing firsthand the profound suffering caused by our fragmented worldview, as well as our shared longing for healing, she has increasingly focused on projects that seek to reawaken us to the interdependence of all life. She is especially devoted to exploring the parallels and profound bond between plants and people.