Pat Brosseau, MSW, LSW

Meet Pat Brosseau, MSW, LSW

Hello! I am Pat (they/he), a Queer and trans Licensed Social Worker. My past work as a neuroscience researcher, along with my own mental health struggles, drove me towards therapy as a calling. I am Queer-friendly, fat-positive, kink and ENM friendly, and anti-oppression in my stances; as much as I can, I want the therapy space to be an open and healing environment rather than one that recreates systemic inequality.

I love to work with adolescents and adults who are struggling with their mental health amidst marginalization and the pressures of surviving in our current world.

The human nervous system is ‘wired’ extremely efficiently to process fear, something very useful for escaping tigers in the forest and not especially helpful for handling emails. If you are struggling with anxiety, I use a grounding, coping skills and cognitive approach to help make the metaphorical tigers a bit more manageable. I have experience working with generalized and social anxiety, OCD, panic disorders and phobias, and I would love to help get your nervous system working WITH you, rather than against you.

As a transgender person living and working in our society, I have dealt firsthand with the transphobia and cisheteronormativity that comes baked into American life. I deeply enjoy working with other Queer and trans individuals; whether you are just beginning your gender journey, struggling with coming out or just want someone who actually understands what it’s like to be trans. I’d like to be there to listen to your story and see if there are ways to realistically move forward to a life you want to be living.

It’s bad out there right now – indescribably bad. It’s hard to see why doing laundry and taxes is worthwhile given the horrors we witness every day and the harm being done to our communities, and it’s hard to see what therapy could do to help. I’m not going to tell you you’re wrong for being angry and scared, because I certainly am. And yet, we still go on living and creating and finding our communities – a process I’d like to be a partner in.

No, therapy won’t fix the racism and misogyny and exploitation at the heart of our society, but I still believe there is space to find community and meaning amidst the decay.

Every client is different, and I always approach therapy collaboratively; that said, I tend towards a problem-solving approach. Structure-wise, I always start by jointly creating a loose agenda for the session, and introduce questions and skills as we go – I am not a ‘blank wall’ kind of therapist. Style-wise, I’m a pretty casual and informal kind of person – we can talk about whatever’s on your mind, from kink to anime to the collapse of the modern economy. I am trained in CBT, DBT, and more eclectic ‘talk therapy,’ and can pivot according to what you need from therapy. I also have experience with ERP and systematic desensitization for those who would benefit from OCD or phobia-specific care.

Pat Outside of the Therapy Room:

Outside of the therapy room, you can find me playing board games and Dungeons & Dragons, baking, or hanging with my cat, Bagel!

Favorite Quote: “We’re each of us alone, to be sure. What can you do but hold your hand out in the dark?” ― Ursula K. Le Guin