Desert Willow Counseling, LLC

My Approach

Each client’s needs and challenges are unique, so my therapeutic approach is highly individualized. In general, my goal is to help each person I work with to build up their internal resources and develop a sense of inner resilience. In my view, the goal of therapy is to eventually feel safe enough and confident enough to independently manage whatever comes up in your life.

The feeling of being safe and accepted is a pathway for healing from all kinds of trauma and emotional wounds. My sincere belief that everyone has good intentions and is doing the best they can allows me to avoid judgment. To ensure my clients feel seen and heard, I also avoid bringing a preset agenda to any session. This allows me to be fully present with each person, meeting them where they are and helping them explore and recognize their individual needs.  

My Therapeutic Toolbox

Depending on each client’s goals and preferences, I will customize my approach. I may not use every technique that I know with every person; rather, I will selectively draw from a variety of theories and approaches, including the following:

Attachment Theory

This therapeutic model suggests that early relationships affect intellectual development and future interactions. When we are young, our interactions with our parents and other caregivers set the stage for our adult relationships. While the mental patterns we develop early in life aren’t set in stone, becoming more aware of them can help us make sense of current relationship challenges. 

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

CBT recognizes the linear relationship between a person’s thoughts and their actions. It provides a framework for exploring and questioning thoughts that lead to unwanted actions. In so doing, it provides an opportunity to change negative thoughts and behaviors into healthier ones. 

Psychodynamic Therapy

This technique takes a closer look at a person’s past relationships and experiences with the goal of connecting them to current thoughts and emotions. When you come to understand the way you view the world and how you formed those beliefs, you may find it easier to break through stubborn patterns, creating deeper and longer-lasting change.

Mindfulness Therapy

The goal of mindfulness-based tools like guided meditation, grounding, and breathing techniques is to help you pay attention to your thoughts and feelings without being overwhelmed by them. Rather than focusing on your past, this type of therapy can help you to become calmer and more aware in the present. 

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy

EMDR therapy is a powerful tool for processing traumatic events. It is a psychotherapeutic technique that activates both sides of the brain and allows thoughts of past trauma to be experienced as memories, not ongoing threats. After hearing the success stories of my colleagues, I completed the Level 1 and Level 2 EMDR trainings and have since been able to help my own clients heal more quickly and deeply by using this technique.

Balancing Comfort With Personal Growth

My goal as a mental health therapist is to provide a space where each client feels safe and supported enough to ask themselves hard questions. As they get better acquainted with their own needs, build their courage, and learn to trust themselves, these clients are empowered to tackle life’s most difficult challenges. 

I understand and respect the fact that we are all human and that it’s OK to feel hurt, distressed, and directionless sometimes. Together, we can make space for this uncertainty and these difficult emotions, allowing you to more effectively work toward healing and personal growth.

Kimberly Brasher, LPCC is a mental health therapist serving clients in and around Albuquerque, NM. She holds a bachelor’s degree in anthropology from Rice University and a master’s degree in counseling from the University of New Mexico. For information on Kimberly’s background, visit her My Background page.