Hi, I’m Britni! I am a licensed clinical professional counselor (LCPC) and board certified art therapist in the state of Illinois. My passion is working with individuals and families who have experienced complex and developmental trauma. Survivors of childhood trauma need somebody who understands their unique and complex needs, including difficulties building trust with therapists when they learned from an early age that others were not to be trusted.
What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?
In our first session together you can expect to develop goals for treatment together. I firmly believe clients should be in charge of the direction of their therapy, and want to work on goals that YOU want to work on, rather than setting goals on your behalf. We will also review confidentiality, discuss if we want to include any other professions in your treatment (like psychiatrists, case managers, doctors, etc) and you’ll be able to ask me any questions you have about how I work, what my experience is, and how I will handle any crisis that might arise.
Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.
I have worked with survivors of childhood and complex trauma for over 10 years in several different roles. I’ve worked directly with children in emergency placement, worked with women and families in domestic violence care, with eating disorder and addiction patients who were just trying to survive, and with parents and families who are trying to make things different for their own children than what they experienced. Having worked in so many levels of the complex/childhood trauma field I have a well grounded understanding of the unique challenges and needs impacting survivors.
Describe the client(s) you are best positioned to serve.
I love working with both children/adolescents and parents who are working to break the cycles of violence and neglect within their families. I also am passionate about utilizing art making and creativity in sessions, as I understand that sometimes simply talking about your experience isn’t enough to break through the walls of protection we build around ourselves. Complex/childhood trauma survivors need a specialized approach in therapy in order to reach the core of their suffering: that somebody who was supposed to care for them didn’t, at least not in the ways my clients were needing. We all have childhood wounds, but childhood trauma tends to make a much deeper cut in the core of who we are. If you’re ready to heal from childhood wounds and break the cycles of violence in your family contact me for a free consultation today!
About Britni Brand
Specializes in
Licensed in
Accepts
Appointments
VirtualMy treatment methods
Trauma Informed Care
My passion and focus in therapy is treating individuals and family systems with complex and developmental trauma. This includes survivors of childhood trauma and caregivers who are navigating the complexities of foster care, adoption, and/or parenting with their own history of childhood trauma. I use a few different therapeutic modalities to best fit my client’s needs, and as a board certified art therapist I like to utilize art making and creativity in my sessions to deepen client’s understanding and build trust.
EMDR
I am an EMDR certified therapist through EMDRIA, and utilize this treatment modality when appropriate and requested by the client. EMDR isn’t for everybody, but when it is used it can relieve and alleviate some of the most uncomfortable trauma symptoms quickly. For more information please see www.EMDRIA.com
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
I find that Internal Family Systems meshes very well with creative arts therapy. IFS stems from the idea that there are parts inside of all of us that function similarly to family systems. These parts might offer protection, ways of coping, and distraction to keep you functioning through trauma and difficult times. No parts are bad, but sometimes they become extreme in efforts to protect you. Utilizing IFS in therapy can help clients externalize the parts of themselves they or others have labeled as “problematic” and see them as parts of themselves needing compassion and care, thus bringing healing and a sense of wholeness.
Culturally Sensitive Therapy
As a therapist I have taken extra efforts to critically evaluate my cultural background and how it impacts my clinical interactions with my clients (through personal exploration and clinical groups like the Witnessing Whiteness group). I also recognize, as a trauma therapist, that some traumas are culturally imparted and cannot be remedied solely through individual therapy. Things like poverty, racism, discrimination and sexism do not disappear with one 60 minute session per week. Utilizing cultural sensitivity in therapy not only benefits the therapeutic relationship but also provides better care for the client, because we can look at the root of several issues that stem from outside themselves and make a plan to combat them the best we’re able.