Brooke KnowlesLCMHC, LPC

When I was a teenager I didn't know anything about mental health. Around that time I started to feel pretty awful and not like myself. I went to a therapist and was diagnosed with depression. I remember feeling so relieved that what I was experiencing had a name. If it had a name that meant it could be treated. I will forever be grateful to that therapist for introducing me to mental health and therapy. Throughout the years I have learned to manage my depressive symptoms and it has allowed me to enjoy my life and to just be present so much more than before. Someone in my life experienced postpartum depression and that inspired me to begin looking into perinatal care. I am currently working toward certification in perinatal mental health. I have young children of my own and know how difficult pregnancy and the postpartum period can be.

I am an empathetic person and it's important to me that you feel heard, validated, and accepted. I believe that therapy is a collaboration between therapist and client. We work together to achieve your goals. My objective is to provide you with a safe space where you can share anything you want. I have a history working in addictions, so I have heard a lot and there are very few things that could shock me.

I believe that we are all human and deserve to be treated as such. I think that sometimes life gets hard and we struggle. We never know what someone is really going through unless they tell us. I try to treat everyone with compassion and acceptance and I think that this is reflected in my treatment philosophy. I encourage clients and try to build them up while helping them find solutions. I am not a tough love kind of person or therapist.

While I was still in graduate school I interned at a rehab facility. After graduation, I was hired there. I gained experience in addictions, eating disorders, and dual diagnoses. Many of the clients I worked with had anxiety and/or depression. Most of them had low self-esteem and tremendous guilt that we began to work through. I learned a lot about early recovery and some of the coping skills that helped clients to begin their sobriety. I later transitioned into private practice, where I have worked with all types of clients. Many people I meet with have struggled with depression, anxiety, and sometimes panic attacks. I have also worked with many clients going through major life changes, such as beginning college, getting a divorce/going through a breakup, and experiencing pregnancy and the postpartum period.