Brettny John

Hi, my name is Brettny (pronounced BRIT-nee). I have experience helping people with depression, anxiety, drug and alcohol addiction, and other mental illnesses. I use collaborative and evidence-based approaches. Here's a little bit about myself. I was born in India and raised in Chicago and Houston. I enjoy playing video games and board games. Cultural awareness is important to me. I also have a lot of aspects of my Indian culture in my life, such as food, language, and values.

My approach

My top modalities are Cognitive Behavior Therapy and a Mindfulness approach. I always let the client lead sessions and steer conversation based on what the client has already said and how they respond to what I say. I also always make sure to work with clients on what they want to work on and how they want to work on it. My specialties are Depression, Anxiety, and Drug/Alcohol Addiction. I worked at a drug addiction outpatient facility in Houston for a year and a half. And I have worked in Telehealth since then.

My focus

I am open to working with clients who have a problem of any kind. I prefer working with clients who are serious about feeling and behaving better and keep to therapy until their therapy goals have been met. I would also prefer to work with clients who do the therapy homework they've agreed to do.

My communication style

I always start off (with the exception of the intake session) by asking the client how things have been going for them. If they have a lot to talk about from that point, then we continue with that. If they don't have a lot to share, then I inquire about one of the problems that they mentioned before. Usually, one of those problems is what the bulk of the sessions will be about. I prefer to take notes during the session so I can remember all the parts of the problem and we can continuously work on it. I have an empathetic and active listening style. I let clients speak freely, and when they're done, I check for understanding. I prefer to have a calm and casual demeanor, as though I'm talking to a friend.

My journey to mental healthcare

What drew me to therapy was knowing that I could help people and that I wanted to help them this way. I struggled with depression in my adolescence and was able to get past it all without therapy. But if I did have therapy, I probably wouldn't have struggled as much and for as long. My training was at four different places: Goodwill for individual and group therapy for adolescents, Terrell State Hospital for group therapy with adolescents and individual therapy with adults, Intracare Partial Hospital Program for individual and group therapy for drug/alcohol addiction for adults, and Positive Steps Residential Treatment Center for group therapy with adolescent girls.

My goals for you

Successful care for my clients involves the client making a goal with me that applies to their current situation, sharing about the problem in sessions, doing homework related to the problem, and giving honest feedback on the progress they are having with working on the problem. It typically takes 3-6 months and weekly or bi-weekly sessions.

My first session with you

The first session is always an intake session where I ask a lot of questions about the client's life so that I can help them the best I can. There are questions on what the current problems are, so the client does get a chance to talk about what is going on. However, overall, the questions take almost the whole hour, so the client will not be able to speak as freely as usual.