Helping Professionals Interview Series: Brandi Wilson, LPC

We are grateful to have had an opportunity recently to connect with Brandi Wilson, LPC of Honest Therapy to learn more about her approach and expertise working with women in both Missouri and North Carolina!

Brandi provides Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFS) and specializes in working with high achieving women. Read more about why Brandi decided to become a therapist, and how she approaches therapy to help women navigate their lives!

Why did you choose to become a therapist?

I wanted to become a therapist to help women advance in life, emotionally speaking.

I enjoyed talking to women, and hearing their stories, and felt that therapy would be a way for me to help them overcome emotional challenges. This way, they could have better relationships, more fulfilling careers, and feel comfortable with themselves.

What kind of treatment do you provide?

I provide individual therapy services for women located anywhere in Missouri or North Carolina.

Briefly, what is IFS Therapy and what can people expect from IFS therapy?

Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFS) is an evidence-based therapy model that helps individuals understand themselves more deeply by recognizing the function of their emotions, also known as "parts."

Our emotions can cause us to react in various ways, such as lashing out, feeling angry, sad, or disconnected. IFS encourages us to comprehend how these emotions have operated in our lives in the past and present, so that we can have less extreme responses.

While each IFS session is unique, many involve gentle breathing and discussing moments in life that feel activating, as a means of understanding emotional patterns and core issues.

What ages do you work with?

I work with individuals 20 and up. Many of my clients are parents navigating their families, careers, and parenthood.

Who are your favorite types of clients to work with and when would you refer a client out?

I specialize in working with high-achieving women who struggle to understand their emotional world. Many women who appear to “have it all” actually don’t. Those who are over-functioning often find it difficult to connect with their emotions and fail to see the connection between certain emotions and core beliefs. I help bridge these gaps.

During the initial onboarding stages, I conduct a pre-screening, so I rarely need to refer clients elsewhere. If I have any concerns or feel that someone else might be a better fit, I let them know at that time.

What happens during a first appointment with you?

I aim to help everyone feel at ease, so I review their history in advance. During the first session, I focus on getting to know them, including their occupation, family life, and how they believe I can assist them in therapy. We spend most of our time just establishing a rapport.

Could you talk a little about how your approach plays into working with people who experience anxious perfectionism?

When operating from a place of anxiety or perfectionism, there is often a belief that these traits are somehow helping us, but usually, it results in a feeling of being out of control and unable to do things differently. IFS therapy helps individuals, especially women, to slow down and reduce the intensity of these feelings so that they can get clear on what is going on.

What is one thing you wish people knew about going to therapy?

Therapy can help with day-to-day stressors just as much as it can help with life-altering experiences. I think people believe that they have to have something extremely problematic occurring to try therapy when therapy is designed to help us deal with all emotions not just negative ones.

What is one fun fact about you that most people don’t know.

I’ve recently relocated to Charlotte, North Carolina, and have become a huge Charlotte FC fan!

How can people learn more about you and contact you?

I have a website! You can read more about me and my approach at www.honesttherapy.org.

You sign up for the Honest Therapy newsletter at www.honesttherapy.org/newsletter.

You can also connect with via social media at Instagram @honesttherapy_.

Curious to learn more about getting treatment for anxiety? Wondering if you need to connect with a therapist in St. Louis? Contact Compassionate Counseling St. Louis to set up a free 15-minute phone consult. We’ll talk about what’s going on and best next steps - and if we’re not the right fit, we’ll connect you with other wonderful therapists, like Brandi!

Compassionate Counseling St. Louis provides specialized anger management and anxiety therapy in St. Louis for kids, teens, and college students. We work in Clayton, MO and serve kids, teens, and college students throughout St. Louis City, St. Louis County, Ladue, University City, Town and Country, Webster Groves, Creve Coeur, Kirkwood, Richmond Heights, and Brentwood. We also provide on-line therapy for college students across the state of Missouri.