Brittney Cannizzaro

I am a therapist that shows up in session as my full self, finding the balance between informal and honest while also maintaining professionalism and accomplishing goals. I let the client lead, and very much am committed to the philosophy that the client is the expert on their own life. I hold two masters in counseling-related fields and have worked with college students and young adults for fifiteen years before transitioning to military veterans and trauma clients. I have experienced infidelity in my own marriage, and have done my own work to summit through trauma and grief. I'm a big believer that our pain shapes us and can be a conduit for growth if we let it. I approach therapy without a fixed model approach, and rather look for ways to uniquely tailor modalities and interventions to the client's specific needs. I place a ton of value on the therapist-client relationship and don't ever want clients to dread therapy, but rather view it as a continuous safe space to be vulnerable without judgment and to make progress at their own pace. I recognize that fit is SO important, and fully affirm clients being intentional however they need to when picking a therapist.

I have three years experience working at a trauma group practice, which led to my specialty to family and relationship trauma. I am fully trained in EMDR and trauma-informed CBT. In addition, I primarily utilize Internal Family Systems, attachment work, Solution-Focused Therapy, and the Gottman method when working with couples. I love diving into the root causes of trauma in the family of origin as well as peer/romantic relationships in a way that feels accessible and validating.

First four sessions typically are a lot of info gathering. It usually takes at least four sessions to for me to get a solid foundation with a client, to fully understand what the client goals are for therapy, to get the back story, and to get an idea of client expectations/needs. I am structured in my approach, but can pivot and adapt quickly if something isn't working. I am committed to showing up fully engaged and ready to maximize our time and to jump right in. I make sure to communicate with clients when needed, and prioritize accessibility. I do lean more direct but not combative, I will be honest while being tactful. My clients do tend to feel connected to me early on in our work together, and I'm genuinely excited to jump in and get to work. I am all-in with clients, so it's really important to me to work with clients who actually want to embrace the therapeutic process.