Brittany Bayer
she/her
Therapy helps you feel supported as you engage in self-reflection, gain insights about yourself, and try out new ways of navigating your internal experiences in response to the world around you.
Therapy provides an opportunity for clients to engage in some of the most important kinds of learning: learning about themselves! In working with their therapist, clients are able to harness their inherent strengths to promote change as they learn new strategies towards rich and meaningful lives.
Because I recognize the need to tailor treatment to the client, client feedback is incredibly valuable to me. It helps me to know what’s not working, what is working, and what we need to try next, so that we can ensure therapy is helpful and not contributing to “stuck-ness.”
Specialties:
- Anxiety
- OCD (and OCD-Related Disorders)
- Depression
- College & Other Life Transitions
- Emotional Dysregulation and Anger
- Substance Abuse
I work with adolescents (14+) and adults from diverse backgrounds and identities, and in various stages of life.
I use evidenced-based approaches including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and I often incorporate strategies from Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) and Mindfulness practices. I have extensive experience with Exposure Therapy (ET) for anxiety and Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) for OCD.
I like to begin with exploring clients’ personal values and to identify the ways they are currently living in alignment with such values. If someone is feeling out-of-sync with their values, I explore with them what is getting in the way. Often, this involves teaching people to tune into their thoughts, feelings, and behavioral patterns (e.g., avoidance, isolation) to allow for a deeper understanding of their inner world and what keeps them “stuck.” I also support clients increasing their acceptance of difficult emotions and using their values as a compass for moving forward. I strive to equip my clients with tools and strategies that empower them to make the changes they envision for themselves. When appropriate, I also really enjoy incorporating humor, because next to evidenced-based practices, I find that laughter truly can be the best medicine!
I received my Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from DePaul University. Prior to Tandem, I worked at an anxiety and OCD specialty clinic, providing individual and group outpatient therapy.