About
Brittany Ater
LMFTA, MACFT, MEd (she/her)
I’ve dreamed of being a therapist since I was 12 years old and I consider it a privilege to do this work each day. I believe in the essential goodness of humans and the wisdom we hold from our collective experience. It’s an honor to help my clients uncover this inner-knowing and wisdom for themselves.
I am a relational, experiential, and attachment-based therapist, centering a warm, yet directive presence, curiosity and humor in our work together. I strive to bring my authentic self into the therapy room so that you may feel safe to do the same. This may look like holding your uncertainty and sadness together in one moment, and laughing together the next.
If I’m not in the therapy room, I’m probably on the dance floor, laying in the sun, listening to live music, or spending time with my community.
“Brittany has the ability to balance remarkable compassion while challenging clients to reevaluate their feelings and behavior. She is able to foster a comfortable environment that is meant specifically to be uncomfortable at times. That is what holding space means for clients; sitting in uncomfortable emotions with a safe person. Brittany makes being a safe person look effortless and changes lives in the process.”
My approach
I believe that each of us already holds a deep internal understanding of what we need and desire,
and my role is to help you uncover this knowledge for yourself and your relationship(s). The therapeutic process is a collaboration through which we will explore your concerns and experiences together and find a path toward healing and clarity. We’ll do this by finding new opportunities for relating to self and other, creating new patterns, honing communication skills, and increasing awareness of your bodily and emotional experience.
I practice therapy from a compassionate, trauma-informed, and non-judgmental lens. I am a queer-, kink-, and non-monogamous-affirming therapist. In our work together, I may draw from Attachment Theory, Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT), Narrative Therapy, Internal Family Systems (IFS), Somatic Therapy, self-compassion and mindfulness practices, tailoring my approach depending on your specific and unique needs.
I believe we heal by connecting to the wounded parts of ourselves and showing them acceptance and compassion. When we heal in community with others who can also show these wounds tenderness and care, we can release feelings of shame, loneliness, and fear. As a result, I believe fostering a robust support system is an integral part of the therapeutic process. In our work together, I may encourage and support you in cultivating community or connecting to support groups.