"In any given moment we have two options: to step forward into Growth or step back into safety." Abraham Maslow My name is Dr. Julie Brandenburg, Ph.D.; HSPP. If you are considering therapy, then you are already taking steps toward growth and change. My therapy specializations include but are not limited to, women's issues and trauma. What follows below is a list of issues that clients often bring up in our therapy sessions. The list is based on my professional experiences with clients, but by no means represents all of the topics and concerns that you may choose to address in therapy. Your issues are uniquely yours, and cannot be placed into anyone else's categories. I have found, however, that sometimes a list gets the ball rolling for potential clients! Some of the issues women bring up in our sessions include (but many additional issues are also discussed): Worry/Anxiety Sadness/Depression Coping with Divorce Self-Esteem Balancing Life "Roles" Self-Care Healthy/Unhealthy Relationships Adult/Child Trauma Trauma-Related Symptoms and Life Impact Life Transitions If you identified with any items on the above list or came up with items of your own, would you like help resolving these issues? The choice is yours. Therapy is for those who believe that their lives can get better and are willing to work to the best of their ability to make that happen. If you choose to work with me, I will be with you every step of the way, encouraging and challenging you to grow toward your best version of yourself.
What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?
In the first session, we discuss the therapy process and my approach. I invite you to share your thoughts/feelings about this and to talk about the problems you are experiencing. I use questions to clarify information and provide feedback, asking for your perspective. I may share possible diagnoses and discuss treatment options. During this session, we lay the groundwork for a solid therapeutic relationship where you feel comfortable and safe to express yourself. As we work together, you develop new, more adaptive patterns of thinking that positively impact how difficulties affect you. We develop therapy goals and adjust them as you make progress. You learn skills to manage problems you encounter in daily life and practice between sessions.
What treatment methods and tools do you utilize?
I use evidence-based therapy techniques including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Cognitive Processing Therapy for Trauma (CPT) and Client-Centered Therapy. Empathy and a nonjudgmental attitude are part of each. Cognitive Therapies teach clients to identify their unhelpful negative thinking patterns/resulting negative emotions and how to challenge and change these patterns with healthy alternatives. I utilize worksheets to teach these skills in session and clients complete them between sessions by applying what they learned. Trauma therapy is a structured approach that begins with clients discussing and writing about the traumas in detail while processing their feelings. We identify "stuck points" preventing them from healing and challenge/replace them.
Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.
One of my biggest strengths is how I relate to clients, which allows me to connect quickly in the first session. I am "myself" as a therapist and communicate genuinely, which encourages clients to share their stories more comfortably. Building a strong therapist-client relationship is another strength. This is crucial to the overall outcome of therapy. My specializations, women's issues and trauma allow me to help clients face their traumas through writing, feeling their emotions, and discussing ways to become "unstuck" in the healing process. A trusting therapeutic relationship is key as clients confront traumatic memories, thoughts, and emotions to challenge and replace them with healthier thoughts and feelings. The therapist-client bond assists clients in this process.
Describe the client(s) you are best positioned to serve.
I prefer to focus on Women's Issues and Trauma/PTSD with adult clients. Examples of Women's Issues include depression, anxiety, self-esteem, coping with divorce, balancing life "roles,", self-care, identifying unhealthy and healthy relationships, parenting, identifying strengths, setting boundaries, life turning points, and childhood/adult trauma and PTSD. I work with clients who have experienced multiple types of trauma such as sexual assault by someone known to the victim and by a stranger. Domestic violence, childhood abuse and neglect, victimization during a violent crime, witnessing the severe assault and/or death of another person, and traumatization during immigration are among the types of traumas I have treated. I speak Spanish fluently enough to conduct therapy sessions with non-English speaking clients. I did have a partial caseload of monolingual Spanish-speaking clients at a private practice where I worked in Chicago. Some clients spoke English but preferred to switch back and forth between Spanish and English during the session, which worked out well. I have worked with clients struggling with acculturation issues and conflict among generations regarding cultural practices. I am open to several Spanish speaking clients if that is a possibility.