Getting to Know Lori Brazil

Choosing a counselor is personal, and it helps to know who you'll be sitting across from. We talked with Lori about why she does this work, what she hopes you feel when you walk through the door, and the seasons of life she loves walking through with people.

Q: What drew you to counseling?

A: I started college as a psychology major, because that's what I always wanted to do. Money was tight, though, and the idea of six years of school felt out of reach. I needed to support myself and stay in Nashville, so I shifted to business management with a psychology minor.

I let go of the idea, but I never stopped being curious about people. I grew up in a home where hard things weren't talked about. Everybody was either okay or angry. So I learned young how much I loved listening to people's real stories. When someone trusted me with theirs, it made me feel human too. I saw how much people value being heard, and I felt that connection in return. Counseling just fits. It feels easy for me, like what I'm supposed to be doing.

Q: What does it mean to you to sit in the counselor's chair?

A: It means I get to give someone something they need, because I've been on the other side of it. People have given me a space that was safe and free of judgment, even when it wasn't in a counseling room, and I want to offer that to others.

I think helping each other is a very human thing. We all do it differently. But a lot of people are looking for somewhere they can connect with themselves without feeling shut down, or different, or like they should already have it figured out. You don't have to know here.

At the heart of it, the need to connect doesn't change. Safety, connection, places to learn who we are and to express who we are: that's part of what it means to thrive. Without it, we struggle. So I get to help someone find their way to a place where they feel like they're thriving again, or figure out why they never have, and meet them in that longing.

Q: What do you hope people feel when they're with you?

A: Safe and heard. A safe place to say whatever is on your mind and whatever you're feeling, whether your thoughts are organized or not.

I also hope the safe connection you find here is something you can eventually take out into the world, so you can take care of yourself no matter what the people around you are doing. I want you to have a place to figure out who you are and to reconnect with yourself.

Q: Why does trusting yourself come up so often in your work?

A: Because it's something I'm still working on myself. I like to weigh both sides: well, it could be this, and it could be that. In school, the answer to almost everything was "it depends," and I approach a lot of life that way. But I think many of us struggle to trust ourselves because of outside pressure. We're meant to be able to figure out who we are, and the world often squelches that. It's an unhappy place to be, like living in someone else's clothes. I want to offer a place where you can figure that out.

Q: What is it like to work with you?

A: I can only answer that from who I am. It matters to me that you feel I'm with you in the moment, really listening and tuned in to what you're trying to tell me. I'd love for it to feel like we sat down in my living room with a cup of coffee, no agenda, just talking about whatever is on your mind. Like friends hanging out, but clinically and ethically appropriate.

I also try to stay curious, almost like a student of you. When we get curious about how someone got here, it changes how we see their humanity. I think so many people just want to be understood. There's a reason you are the way you are, and I'd love to hear how you got here.

Q: What do people say after a session?

A: Often something like, "I didn't plan on talking about that today." Sometimes they're crying. To me, that tells me they felt safe in a way they didn't expect. I've had women tell me, "I didn't plan on crying today, but I think I needed to, and I feel better." When someone names something they hadn't been able to name, they'll say it was really hard, but it feels better to unload it.

One client takes her shoes off, brings a blanket in from the waiting room, and settles in. She told me it feels like we're just hanging out in my living room. That tells me she's comfortable, and that's what I hope for everyone.

Q: What do you want people to know about the areas you focus on?

A: Here's how I think about each one.

Self discovery. So much of what I do is helping people get to know themselves again, and figure out who they are underneath what everyone else expects of them.

Grief. Grief isn't only about losing someone. It can come with any kind of loss, and it deserves a place to be talked about without anyone hurrying you through it.

Anxiety and depression. I often see them as a symptom of something bigger. Rather than only trying to quiet them, I'd like to get curious with you about what they might be telling us.

Divorce. Whether it's behind you or happening now, it's a major life change, and you shouldn't have to carry it alone.

Religious trauma. If faith was a source of hurt for you, this is a place to sort through it at your own pace, without judgment.

Women's issues and life transitions. These often overlap. Many women come in during a season of change and find there's a lot more to explore.

Ready to talk?

If you're curious whether we'd be a good fit, I offer a free 15 minute consultation. Call 615.861.0521 or reach out through the contact page. I see clients at 5200 Maryland Way, Suite 102 in Brentwood, and at 1127 S High Street in Columbia.