Brian Jones

LMHC, LPC

I grew up in a small fundamentalist Christian church in Ohio. I don't think I experienced very much "upper-case T" Trauma while I was there. Instead, it was more of an environment filled with constant "lowercase-t" trauma where it was hard to point out what was damaging about it - especially since I was just a kid. The very first thing I remember learning in life was that the world is split into "us versus them." Growing up, I learned to ignore my own feelings and suppress internal "red flag alarms" about authority figures. I didn't think I was allowed to express my anger, which was difficult to control. I was afraid and ashamed of my sexuality, but at the same time couldn't turn off my desires. The way I learned to cope with all of this was to basically develop two versions of myself: One that existed around my family and adults at church, and one that existed around everyone else. I made big life decisions as a young adult, wavering back and forth between these two identities. I didn't know how to be authentic, and that had an enormous negative impact on my life. I've been in therapy for most of my adult life now, and the healing I've experienced is something I want to share with others. When I first learned about the "parts" model of Internal Family Systems, it instantly clicked with me. I knew exactly what it meant to have different parts of me in constant conflict with each other. I want to help you experience that same kind of healing. If you want to talk about any issues about religion and spirituality, or about coping mechanisms you can't seem to control, I think I'm good at understanding that sort of thing. One thing about religious trauma is that even though we may all come from different denominations with different rules and rituals, you and I can still connect on the general experience of feeling alone and hurt. I get it, is what I'm saying. These days, I show up authentically to work. I sit back and listen, but I am also laid-back and relaxed in my approach most of the time. We might laugh together sometimes. We might cry together sometimes. We might rant about the social realities of living in an oppressive patriarchical-capitalist machine of a country sometimes. The important thing is that I want you to feel safe during our appointments. IFS is a collaborative, client-led process. I'm trained in asking the right questions, but you're the one who's going to come up with the answers that you need - and that's a good thing!