Patrick Brown LCSW

In working with depression I help my clients challenge the view of themselves and the world around them. I also help clients identify and work towards building a lifestyle that improves and maintains their mood.

In working with anxiety I help clients understand their anxiety and evaluate the relationship they have with anxiety. Anxiety isn't a bad thing! It's much like a smoke detector. We actually want anxiety to keep us safe. Also like a smoke detector, however, it becomes problematic when it goes off at random. To help clients fix their personal smoke detector, I help them understand what triggers their anxiety, teach them coping skills, and support them in facing their anxiety.

My entire career had utilized CBT in one way or another and for good reason; it works! I draw on cognitive behavioral therapy interventions to help you examine your place in the world and challenge negative and harmful assumptions about yourself and the world. We'll also incorporate new patterns of behavior, learn skills to help us address stuff that gets in the way of goals, and figure out ways to incorporate what we learn in session to daily life.

I incorporate DBT skills and a DBT approach of validation and empathetic challenging in my practice. Your emotions are valid and I believe the behaviors we want to change at one point served a very important purpose in our lives. At the same time, I also recognize the need to change behaviors that don't help us in the here and now. In our work we can draw from DBT to learn skills to regulate ourselves, advocate for ourselves, and proceed through life and it's various challenges mindfully.

I draw on solution focused therapy in my practice to examine the exceptions to your problems. You will always be the expert on yourself and I can help you bring out that expertise. Using solution focused therapy we'll tap into those times where things were going right, in order to help the client use the strengths they already have to work towards an ideal life.

I work with clients to help them feel better about themselves. We'll put those thoughts that drag you down on trial and decide once and for all if they're true or not. We'll also figure out ways to change your behavior and to help you feel awesome about yourself.