Susan E. Brown, MA, LPC, CBIS
As a child, I was intuitive, artistic, and deeply connected to nature.
By the age of 14, I found myself coaching close friends away from suicide and toward their true nature, and I began participating in my first personal growth programs.
The catalyst for my own healing journey was ignited by several car accidents and traumatic challenges in early adulthood. From that time, my life became driven by healing from chronic physical pain, psychological pain, and existential suffering. As I focused on my own growth and betterment this expanded to help others.
A seeker at heart, I have participated in a wealthy breadth of exploratory experiences: conventional and unconventional therapeutic modalities; holistic healing methods; shamanic trainings; connection with personal growth communities; comparative religion and spirituality study; and, world travel. During these experiences, I became an entrepreneur as a professional organizer, a visual artist, printmaker, early childhood educator, caregiver, founder of and lead instructor at holistic healing centers, a disability advocate, and an expressive arts director. Through my own experience of a mild concussion, I came to specialize in working with people with brain injuries and neurodiversity.
The healing centers offered brain-balancing yoga, tai chi, martial arts, meditation, and somatic healing methods inspired by Eastern philosophies and practices. I spent thousands of hours guiding people who were suffering with a variety of afflictions and aliments, as well as aiding with and witnessing many powerful and miraculous healing events in people’s lives.
While I witnessed these miracles, I also came to realize both the healing potential and the possible harming effects of group dynamics. Some of my experiences in a number of groups showed me how they could be cult-like in nature. This realization brought me to the study of cultic/high demand group dynamics and cult recovery, which resulted in my capstone study during graduate school.
I believe that every person holds innate wisdom and can access their true nature and goodness, and that each person holds the answers they seek, including when the journey means being with the unknown, beyond what we can express. I have observed, without fail, the power of belief, connection, and self-love, and how it can alter our lives. What we tell ourselves can change the course we are on. I am here to support and witness you on your own path.
* Please see the Individual Counseling page for more detailed descriptions of my philosophy and modalities used.
