My Philosophy
Therapy is a simple yet complex process.
Basically, in therapy you talk about yourself, sounds easy, right!? Yes, and no. It becomes more complicated when digging deeper into your emotional states. All sorts of unexpected feelings and sensations begin to surface, you may feel exhilarated and exhausted, at the same time.
You will share personal details with a stranger. And some of these details bring up painful memories and shame, which you may find difficult to talk about. But, have all said, done, and thought things we are not entirely proud of. In that, you are not alone!
You will cry a little, a lot, or not at all, throughout the therapy process. And that is ok. Almost every way of being in therapy is ok. I want to see you.
During that process, you will challenge your current way of being while trying to embrace change. That process is simultaneously unsettling and exciting.
Every step of the way, I will be there.
We will start the journey by exploring your early-childhood relationships and experiences and uncovering how they impact you now. With this knowledge, you will better understand who you are and how you got here.
At this point, you will come to the realization of, “Oh, that’s why I do that!” The empowerment from this knowledge is enormous! Now you have the awareness to make different choices.
As we explore your early experiences, we will simultaneously work on the body and mind connection and explore and develop coping skills that work for you. Then, you will begin to understand your emotions more self-compassionately.
The result is confidence, understanding, and inspiration.
You will feel more empowered, seen, and understood.
Another facet of your journey will involve further developing your understanding of areas important to self-awareness, such as your values, aspirations, and desires.
With this insight, you will see your choices more clearly and have confidence in your decisions.
You will feel more inspired and in control as your purpose and goals become clearer!
About Me
Hi, I’m Brenda.
Having undergone a similar transformation (as described above), I can empathize and relate to what you are going through. And I can personally talk to you about the positive impact this work has had on my life and can have on yours.
One of the most important lessons I learned and had to comprehend fully was that noticing and understanding emotions and relating to others with self-confidence is NOT innate. It needs to be taught and modeled by our caregivers! “It’s not that something was wrong with me; I was just never taught!”
A little more about my experience and credentials…
Prior to becoming a psychotherapist, I worked with children in several capacities, from behavior interventionist to lead teacher for preschool classrooms. The culmination of these experiences led to my fascination with early developmental experiences and how they impact our present and future relationships – and our thoughts about ourselves, the people in our lives, and the world.
With my curiosity about human behavior and the desire to help people on a deeper level, I enrolled in the Masters of Marriage and Family Therapy program at the University of Southern California.
Through this program, I gained experience working at a mental health center, as a middle school counselor, and therapist for individuals residing in a drug and alcohol treatment center. I have had the honor to help individuals and couples struggling with depression, anxiety, PTSD, Bipolar Disorder, relationship issues, religious trauma, physical and sexual abuse, and grief and loss.
Additionally, I have received training in:
- Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT)
- Gottman Method Couples Therapy Level 1
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
- Mindfulness Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Dialectic Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Trauma-Focused Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (TFCBT)
- Narrative Therapy
Now is the time
Please allow me to compassionately support you on your journey through this complex and powerful learning process.