Rising Stars: Meet Kathleen Brennan of Midtown

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kathleen Brennan

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I love a good bookstore. From a youngish age, you could find me in the psychology/self-help section, looking over the wide array of books related to what it means to be a human being. I was drawn to understanding the layers of who we are, what ties us together and what makes us uniquely individual.

Fast forward to my just-after-college self. I gave myself a few years to work in related and unrelated fields to get clear on what my next steps would be. One service industry job, a year abroad and a clinical assistant job later, I had answered my main question and answered it with: “yes, I want to be a therapist.”

Close to 20 years later and a priceless range of clinical experiences and mentors in various settings, I have a therapy practice in Nashville where I work with individuals and couples.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Not entirely smooth but not ridiculously difficult either. I’m aware that when in the thick of it, or facing a challenge, the opposite of smooth can feel much more true. These rocky moments and the experience of them having an end point, are memories I come back to when I’m facing a disappointment or what feels like a failure.

During my first clinical job, I had interviewed internally for a promotion and wanted it so badly. Every fiber of me equated getting this promotion as the only way to gain more experience and move forward in my career.

I didn’t get it.

Not getting that promotion prompted me to apply for a post-grad fellowship that I knew only accepted a few people each year. I also knew that I would learn a ton.

I got it.

Everything lined up in crazy synchronous ways that felt like the universe had kept me at bay from paths that were not quite right until I found the next right path.

The “no” to the job promotion positively changed the course and set me on an impactful trajectory to who I am as a person and clinician today.
What I viewed as an obstacle, turned out to be the best door that could have closed. A failure can be the very thing that leads to unimagined options.

What I perceived as struggle many years ago, for the most part, is now just part of any process. Tension and struggle just signals that you’re working on something with potential.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m an individual and couples therapist. I work with adults. My specialties include working with people who have experienced past or more recent trauma, anxiety, grief and loss or are going through some sort of life transition. I am also EMDR certified.

Therapy is a space for people to give voice to what is going on with them. Challenges, hurts, conflicts, hopes, disappointments, losses, wins, vulnerabilities- to name a few. From there, there are many options for working through whatever is hard at the moment. Important change often naturally follows for people. Clients have their specific experiences and needs that lead up to the moment they reach out for therapy.

I’m most proud of continually evolving. I’m never done. I’m a lifelong learner and never the full-on expert. I’m always up for trying something new or spending a lot of time on some sort of project. Creative projects seem to complement my work as a therapist.

When I first started developing my practice back in 2012, I started a podcast and did that for many years. I’ve been writing over the past few years and hope to eventually publish a book.

Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
There is so much to like about Nashville. For me, the people are what make any city. I appreciate the community here!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://kathleenrbrennan.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kathleenrbrennan/
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/episode/04d5AmFNSWcuOsg2u7Gywu?si=yGh2IagaSZa4UXq9MyNrBQ