Clinical Expertise

Brianna Lear is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker who is dedicated to providing compassionate research-supported care for adults, children, adolescents, and families. Her specialties include treating anxiety and mood disorders, relational challenges, life transitions, OCD, and complex trauma. She also has extensive experience supporting individuals navigating neurodivergence, substance use disorders, gender dysphoria, psychosis-spectrum disorders, emotion dysregulation, family conflict, suicidality, and social isolation. For the last six years, she has served individuals, families, and groups across a range of settings including schools, in-home services, crisis stabilization/respite programs, and outpatient clinics.

Brianna’s practice is grounded in cultivating an authentic therapeutic relationship that centers the client as expert in their life. She uses a person-centered and trauma-informed lens and integrates elements from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), Motivational Interviewing (MI), and Solution Focused Therapy (SFT). In addition to these modalities, Brianna approaches therapy through an Ecological Systems perspective, appreciating the relationship between biological, psychological, social, cultural, and ecological factors that influence mental health. When appropriate, she also incorporates experiential activities that may support emotional processing and expression, such as role playing, games, and the expressive arts. With the belief that we are all equipped with unique strengths and abilities, Brianna’s goal is to empower individuals with the tools and confidence to pursue a meaningful life full of positive relationships in spite of trauma, adversity, and dysfunction. Brianna’s therapeutic style is warm, caring, and nonjudgmental. She appreciates a good dose of humor and situates herself as a fellow flawed human.

Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

Throughout her practice, Brianna values cultural diversity and the impact of systemic oppression and historical trauma on mental health and wellbeing. Additionally, Brianna believes it is important to address power dynamics that may present within the therapeutic setting, and always seeks to collaborate with clients and let them guide the course of treatment. Brianna has worked with individuals of diverse backgrounds with respect to socioeconomic status, nationality, ethnicity, immigration status, religion, gender identity, sexuality and polyamory, neurodivergence, complex medical needs, disability status, and adoption and foster care status. It is her belief that personal identities and cultural backgrounds can be harnessed as areas of strength and resilience to guide the course of therapy and skill development. Brianna practices cultural, professional, and personal humility and is committed to learning and growing in areas of diversity and inclusion, more comprehensively appreciating the complexity of intersectionality and how it relates to mental health and the therapeutic environment.

Training

Brianna received her BA from Vassar College, where she majored in Psychological Sciences with an emphasis on Learning and Behavior. She received her MSW from the University of Southern California, where she specialized in working with children, youth, and families. Brianna’s training in treatment for anxiety and OCD includes participation as a clinician in research at The Pediatric Anxiety Research Center affiliated with Brown University, implementing BRAVE, an Exposure Therapy intervention and assessment tool, with children and adolescents. Brianna also trained and collaborated with the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center and has experience working with survivors of childhood trauma, abuse, and neglect, as well as survivors of sexual violence.

Education

• Vassar College, B.A.
• University of Southern California, MSW

Areas of Expertise

Anxiety, Depression, OCD, Mood Disorders, Survivors of Trauma and Abuse, Identity Exploration, LGBTQ+ Affirming, Life Transitions, Historical and Inter-Generational Trauma, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), Solution Focused Therapy (SFT), Motivational Interviewing (MI), Expressive Arts and Play Therapy

Hobbies

In her spare time, Brianna is a novice ornithologist, spending as much time in nature as possible and misidentifying birds. An avid music lover and amateur guitarist, Brianna enjoys playing music, singing, and attending concerts. She’s a proud mother of two cats and values spending time with friends and family above all.