Brendan has worked with a wide range of people with regard to backgrounds, ways of life, worldviews, and struggles and is comfortable approaching cases with a range of issues, but some specialties of his include:

 

Addiction:

Brendan follows the theoretical model of Dr. Lance Dodes, which understands addiction not as a ‘brain disease’ caused by a psychoactive substance but instead as a learned compulsion for coping with feelings of powerlessness. Psychologically, addiction to things like pornography or video games is not fundamentally different from addiction to alcohol or drugs. Recovery is a step-by-step journey to become more aware of one’s patterns and feelings and develop alternative coping strategies.

 

Counseling for Adolescent/Early-Twenties Males: 

Recent decades have witnessed huge social, cultural, and technological changes that have left many feeling lost, isolated, and aimless. A growing body of evidence shows young men entering adulthood face distinct problems, including declining rates of reaching expected milestones in school, work, and marriage as well as a higher risk of addiction and juvenile detention. Brendan offers leadership and goal-oriented counseling to help young men find a sense of purpose and the confidence to pursue it.

 

Co-Parenting Counseling:

When a relationship comes to an end, couples have to navigate the often difficult transition to parenting cooperatively when they are no longer living together or sharing a romantic relationship. With this practical and solution-oriented approach, Brendan focuses on two areas: improving communication and conflict resolution skills so as to better be able to work as a parenting team, and forming a shared co-parenting plan to bring parenting styles and values closer together.

 

Psychodynamic Counseling:

Have you ever thought things like, “I make to-do lists, but then just procrastinate all day - why do I do this to myself?” or “I want a romantic partner so badly, but whenever someone shows real interest in me, I break it off with them.” These behaviors of ours that confuse and frustrate us are often motivated by unconscious beliefs and desires so we end up caught in self-sabotaging loops. Brendan can guide you in becoming more curious and reflective about yourself so that you can become aware of these hidden beliefs and consciously change them.

 

Psychospiritual Counseling:

Psychotherapy often ends up bumping against the deepest questions in our lives. Great personal challenges like bereavement and addiction often force us to ask ourselves what our values are, what kind of people we want to be, and what life is really about. Brendan often employs the philosophical counseling approach of Dr. Pierre Grimes, which involves methodical dialogue to uncover false but deeply-held beliefs. Brendan is also widely read in the world’s spiritual and religious traditions and competent to conduct therapy through those lenses for clients who wish to do so.

 

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy and Skill Building:

Brendan believes therapy is not something that happens merely an hour or so a week, but is instead an active process for the client to become an expert on themselves and a master of their own minds. Brendan often assigns readings, workbook exercises, or focused reflection for clients during the week in order to build skills and process difficult feelings during the week in between sessions.