JENNIFER BRENNAN, LCSW · THERAPIST IN WESTPORT, CT
Hi. I’m Jennifer.
I have been practicing for thirty-five years, the last twenty in my private practice in Westport, Connecticut. I have extensive training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and work with children, teenagers, young adults, parents, and adults.
I learned how the mental health system works from the inside.
I worked at the Mental Health Association in Westchester County, New York, for fourteen years, starting as a clinician and eventually as the Associate Executive Director, responsible for all clinical programs and services.
I also taught at Fordham University, in a post-graduate certificate program for clinicians. Teaching forces you to explain your reasoning rather than rely on instinct, and I have incorporated that into my clinical practice. It is probably why so much of my work involves psycho-education, explaining and helping folks understand what is happening to them or their loved ones, in conjunction with treatment.
I opened my private practice in Westport in 2005, to create a positive work life balance, spending time with my family while still being able to pursue my clinical work with children, adolescents, young adults and adults. I love working with folks directly and being able to stay with them for as long as the work actually takes. A course of treatment can vary depending upon an individual’s situation. I see some folks for short term therapy, ranging from 4 weeks to 16 weeks. I see other folks for longer periods, again depending upon need.
Once I treat a person or family, I remain available for folks to return for treatment either for booster sessions or ongoing sessions as needed. I have had the privilege of working with some people through their childhood, adolescence, young adulthood and adulthood, being available for check ins during life transitions and/or challenges.
Training and Credentials
Licensed clinical social worker in Connecticut and New York. Practicing since 1991, in private practice since 2005.
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Master of Social Work, Stony Brook University, State University of New York
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Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, Ithaca College
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Specialized training in cognitive behavioral therapy
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Former Associate Executive Director, Mental Health Association of Westchester County, NY
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Former adjunct professor, Fordham University post-graduate program
I coordinate regularly with pediatricians, psychiatrists, schools, and other providers, and I think of that as part of the treatment rather than an administrative task on top of it.
HOW I WORK
I do not start from the assumption that something is broken.
Everyone is anxious sometimes. Everyone gets low. Most of what I see in my office is a normal person trying to manage a stressor and/or life change or transition. Many times folks develop coping strategies that are meant to help but start to interfere with relationships, friendships, school, work, sleep, or a willingness to even leave the house.
My primary approach is cognitive behavioral therapy, and I have specialized training in CBT. In practice that means sessions have direction, we work on goals and building skills/strategies and people leave with something to work on. I bring in other approaches when they fit, including mindfulness, meditation, and/or stress management techniques. Therapy is individualized and it is collaborative, which means you will know what we are working on and why.
I am also direct. If I think something is not working, I will say so. If I am not the right person for what you are dealing with, I will tell you early and help you find the right provider for you.
A person who understands what their brain is doing stops being frightened of their own reactions. That understanding is not the preamble to the work. It is most of the work.
WHAT I WORK WITH
Anxiety and depression are most of it. Not all of it.
Roughly four out of five of the young people I see are dealing with anxiety, depression, or both. Within that, my training is specific rather than general:
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Generalized anxiety, social anxiety, separation anxiety, and panic disorder
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Obsessive compulsive disorder and perfectionism
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School refusal, which is common enough in this area and rarely straightforward
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Depression, low mood, and withdrawal
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Trichotillomania and excoriation, hair pulling and skin picking, treated with habit reversal training
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Attention and behavior difficulties, Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder
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Social difficulty, isolation, and the long stall some young adults hit after school ends
I also work with children and families going through divorce, adoption, relocation, and other transitions where the change itself is the difficulty.
I use standardized assessment tools in a first meeting rather than working from impression alone, and we set goals early so you know what we are aiming at and whether we are getting there.
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OUTSIDE THE OFFICE