Holistic Jungian therapist specializing in trauma and relationships
About Me
I’m committed to the art of living, and to living what the ancient philosophers call the good life. I believe we all have the capacity to live a good life, a meaningful life. My goal as a therapist is to help individuals identify and cultivate their personal meaning.
Meaning can be found in both joy and suffering. I practice holding a perspective that allows me to accept and appreciate what is—all of it—without judgement. I’m practice what Ram Dass calls the horrible beauty—that is, the horror and beauty in all of life.
My work as a therapist consistently brings me face to face with undeniable pain and suffering. Equally undeniable, is the absolute beauty that I’m witness to on a regular basis. To ignore suffering is negligence, and to disregard beauty is reckless.
Who I Serve?
I serve youth in foster care, teens in the juvenile justice system, individuals in recovery, couples in crisis, families in distress, teens finding their way, identity crisis/spiritual emergency, Veterans, individuals in hospice, as well as those journeying with depression/sadness, suicidal ideation, anxiety/fear, grief, PTSD, and inner voices. I also work with creatives who feel stuck.
I’m particularly sensitive to individuals who have a history in the psychiatric/psychotherapy system, and who feel like they’ve been wronged. I’ll not defend “the system”; instead, I’ll help you articulate, explore, and move through your grievances.
My Style
Through my therapy experience, I’ve found that relationships are central to mental/holisitic health. Healthy social connections produce wholesome people and communities, while social disconnection is at the root of most suffering. We’re evolutionarily and neurologically wired to connect—to ourselves, to one another, and to our surroundings.
While I am neither healer nor savior, I am committed to helping individuals navigate their own healing journeys. Through the use of co-regulation, empathy, curiosity, deep listening, the “here and now”, mind-body awareness, flow, and spontaneity, I develop synergistic relationships with my clients. A positive therapeutic relationship is the basis for good outcomes.
And, as a bona fide community social worker, I take special interest in power dynamics and their impact on individual and community well-being. While I strongly believe in an individual’s capacity to overcome against all odds, I’m not blind to the harsh realities of systemic oppressions, and how the loss personal agency leads to inner turmoil.
PSSSSSS. I sometimes run 5-10 mins late. If this is a particular issue to you, tell me; I will take it seriously, even though I may not always be able to accommodate. I am not a disrespectful person. But my work is not mechanical; in fact, it is quite organic. Would you want to be cut off at the bell? I always offer an full hour, despite only being paid for 45 minutes. If you don’t have the flexibility, I may not be your person. With respect.
Licensed · Professional · Cancel Anytime
Michael Brennan is a clinician who helps people discover and cultivate personal meaning as part of living a good, intentional life. He practices from the belief that everyone has the capacity for a meaningful life and partners with clients to clarify what matters to them.
He attends to both joy and suffering, maintaining an accepting, nonjudgmental stance. Influenced by the idea Ram Dass called the “horrible beauty” – the horror and the beauty present in life – Michael holds a perspective that makes room for difficult experience alongside those moments of grace.
Across eight years of practice he has worked with a wide range of concerns, including stress, anxiety, addictions, relationship and family conflicts, depression, trauma and abuse, grief, intimacy-related and sleeping disorders, parenting and anger management, self-esteem and career difficulties, bipolar disorder, ADHD, coping with life changes, compassion fatigue, and coaching. He also supports LGBT clients and those navigating identity crises or spiritual emergencies.
Michael serves youth in foster care, teens in the juvenile justice system, individuals in recovery, couples in crisis, families in distress, teens finding their way, Veterans, people in hospice, and those journeying with depression or sadness, suicidal ideation, anxiety or fear, grief, PTSD, and inner voices. He also works with creatives who feel stuck. He is particularly attuned to people who have had difficult experiences within the psychiatric or psychotherapy system and who feel wronged; rather than defending the system, he helps clients articulate, explore, and move through their grievances.
His approach emphasizes relationships as central to mental and holistic health. Using co-regulation, empathy, curiosity, deep listening, attention to the here and now, mind-body awareness, flow, and spontaneity, he builds collaborative therapeutic relationships. As a community social worker he pays close attention to power dynamics and the impacts of systemic oppression on personal agency and well-being.
Michael is a licensed clinical social worker in Nevada (license NV LCSW 8891-C) and has eight years of experience. He aims to be respectful and responsive; he sometimes runs five to ten minutes late and asks clients to raise punctuality concerns if that would be a problem. He typically offers a full hour session even though billing may cover only 45 minutes, so if strict session timing is essential he may not be the right fit.
For many common concerns – such as stress, anxiety, depression, relationship struggles, or major life transitions – remote therapy can be as helpful as traditional in-person sessions. Research and clinical practice commonly find comparable outcomes for these types of issues.
One of the practical benefits is flexibility. Clients can connect in the way that works best for them – by video, by phone, by live chat, or through in-app messaging – which makes it easier to weave therapy into a busy schedule.
All therapists offering online care are licensed professionals, and if someone feels the fit is not right they can switch to a different therapist at any time. This adaptability helps people find the therapeutic relationship and format that support their goals.
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