Meet Courtney Bradis, May’s Featured Therapist
Every month, Council for Relationships features one of our staff therapists on the blog. This month’s Featured Therapist Courtney Bradis, MFT, joined our staff in 2018. Get to know more about Courtney in the interview below!
Why did you decide to become a therapist/what drew you to counseling as a career?
Since I first started learning about psychology, I knew it was a field I was meant to enter. I originally started college as a math major but quickly learned that it was not for me. My freshman year of college I took a basic psychology course and my professor was a psychotherapist. She would use case examples from her own practice to help our class understand the material she was teaching. I was instantly intrigued by her wealth of knowledge and passion for helping people living with mental illness. That was the beginning of my path towards becoming a therapist. In the coming years my passion for psychology and drive to help others led me to the counseling field but ultimately I owe my first introduction to psychology to my basic psychology professor.
What makes you unique as a therapist and a person?
As a therapist, my focus on self-compassion makes me unique. I often find that we are our biggest critics, which often leads us to meet our own pain with more pain (criticism, negative self-talk, degrading language, etc.). My approach to therapy centers around helping clients meet their own pain with love, rather than meeting pain with more pain.
In my spare time I enjoy cooking, spending time outdoors hiking or kayaking with my dog, shopping, and trying new restaurants. I have noticed that some of the best recommendations for restaurants/movies/activities come from my clients!
What is one piece of advice you would like to give people who may be struggling emotionally and would like to seek to counsel but may not be ready?
One piece of advice I would give is to reach out to someone to someone that you trust. Therapy can be a huge step, but if you are struggling it is important to talk to someone. This may be a family member, a close friend, or a doctor. If you are considering therapy but are unsure if it is the right avenue for you, many therapists (including myself) will do a free phone consultation. This consultation is the perfect opportunity to ask questions, express your concerns, and explore your options. Your struggles are real, valid, and deserving of help. There is no such thing as a problem that is “not bad enough” for therapy. Just because your struggles may not be as bad as someone else’s does not mean that you are not deserving of help.
What is something your clients would say about you?
My clients would say that I genuinely care about them as people, value their personal growth, and respect their individual goals. I am able to see the good in each of my clients even when they are unable to see it for themselves. My clients would say that I am relatable, honest, and non-judgmental. I truly believe therapy should be a place where clients feel safe and respected. I do my best to bring these standards to each one of my sessions.