Brittany Perkins

My name is Brittany Perkins and I am a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. Whether your burdens come from the daily stressors of life such as work or parenting, or you are struggling with more debilitating symptoms of anxiety, depression, or another mental health diagnosis, we can work together to support you in this transformational process. My specific specializations include trauma and family therapy, as I believe that family dynamics, relationships, and the traumatic events in a person's life are all life-altering experiences that deserve to be explored and healed.

My approach

Throughout my experience as a therapist, I have learned that the therapy process must be individualized for each person based on their own unique set of strengths, challenges, and life experiences. My approach includes flexibility and compassion, while also remaining direct and having clear boundaries to ensure a strong, trusting therapeutic relationship. I use a variety of tools and interventions from many different modalities, though I primarily lean towards using Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT). I am trained in Prolonged Exposure (PE) Trauma therapy. Though not required, PE is extremely effective and a great option for those with a history of trauma. Additionally, I want to ensure my clients have a strong foundation of skills and holistic understanding of the challenges associated with their daily mental health. With that in mind, I often incorporate psychoeducation and a variety of skill-building exercises to strengthen coping skills and communication skills.

My focus

When it comes to client focus, I have worked with a wide range of individuals, across all ages, life phases, and with a variety of mental health backgrounds and diagnoses. Many of the clients have a history of trauma (specifically sexual abuse), mood disorders, and/or anxiety. Being able to help people in their relationships is another passion of mine, and so working through codependent behaviors and other aspects of one's social, romantic, or family life are common issues I address with clients. Lastly, because of my unique experience working in a treatment center setting, I have worked with a lot of parents and family members who have a loved one in treatment. It can be so hard to find the balance between supporting and having boundaries with someone with a mental health diagnosis or addiction. If you are one of these people struggling to know how to deal with this kind of situation, I would love to help you.

My communication style

While many know me for my bubbly personality, I have also been known to be a calm, stable presence for one struggling to manage their varying emotions. My communication style is flexible, based on the needs of the client, but I tend to be direct and straightforward. I like to strike a balance between being validating and emotionally supportive in times of need, while also challenging you in a way so that you are pushed forward. You don't know what you don't know, and therapy is designed to be a place to help you learn this. So while I am a good listener, I will also challenge you to think outside of the box, consider other perspectives, and hopefully push you to achieve your goals rather than enable you to stay stuck.

My goals for you

I typically like to speak with my clients first about why they are coming to therapy and what their goals are. If I hear something come up outside of what you share as a goal, I may bring it up and ask permission or if it is something worth exploring further. At the end of the day, it is up to the client to determine goals and what they want to address in therapy. I am here to guide you and support you in moving closer to those goals by holding you accountable and keeping us on track. With that in mind, I do like to bring up these goals throughout the therapy process to ensure we are making progress (and explore why we might not be if we aren't progressing). Sometimes, new goals arise, and so changing the treatment plan and goals is always okay too but this is why continuously checking in and talking about goals is absolutely necessary for success.

My first session with you

In your first session, you will be sharing with me why you are coming to therapy, any previous experience or expectations around therapy, and going over your specific goals. It is important that this time, we get a good understanding of each other and begin building a trusting relationship. I may ask a lot of questions as I want to properly understand and never assume. While I want to continuously assess so that I know how I can help you, I also recognize that trust takes time. Because of that, it is okay to not share everything in your first session and I will never make you share more than you are ready to. It is important that we establish boundaries so that we can build that trust so I will likely share more about my style of therapy and expectations so that we can begin on the same page.