Andres Brown, MS ‘17 Couples and Family Therapy, knew they wanted to be a marriage and family therapist at the age of twelve. Growing up in a strict religious household, they learned at an early age how one’s mental health is closely tied to their family relationships. Their own experiences with family trauma have informed their practice as a therapist specializing in supporting LGBTQIA+ communities struggling with challenging family relationships.
“A huge motivation for why I do what I do is my own mother. When I came out, there was a moment of disconnection and hurt. It was a trauma between us, but my mother and I have gone through the process of repairing our relationship. I recognized that the more that I show up authentically, and the more that she shows up authentically, the more we’re able to connect in a meaningful way. That sparked in me the idea that this healing is possible. My mom is still aligned and affiliated with my religion of origin, but also deeply loves and cares about me. At one point she expressed how hard it would be to support and love me and my husband, Phillip. Now she texts him more than she texts me! She’s teaching me how to sew some skirts and has helped me repair some of the gender non-conforming clothing that I have. My personal experience drives so much of the agility that I have, as a therapist. I’m able to say that I also experienced this trauma with my mom. I can speak the language of the community.”
Growing up in Utah, Andres felt that they needed an environment in which they could grow and thrive. They found that supportive community at the College of Education.
“[When I joined the UO], I felt like I was finally with my people, people who viewed the world the way that I viewed the world and who thought about relationships the way that I thought about relationships. I owe a lot of who I am to the UO, to my experience there and my cohort who introduced me to a world that I had only hoped would happen. Coming out was not a positive experience in Utah. But when I came to the UO my cohort met me with such open arms and such celebration.”
Andres also credits the mentorship of professors in the Couples and Family Therapy Program for their personal and professional growth.
“I think the world of Tiffany Brown, Jeff Todahl, who was my supervisor, and Deanna Linville. It was quite a culture shock, going to Oregon and wrestling with my own biases and my own assumptions of relationships and gender. I had a lot of learning to do. I was so grateful that my supervisors and the faculty provided the safe space for me to do that and provided me with the opportunities to learn and grow clinically. It’s hard learning to be a therapist. I wasn’t prepared for how much self-work it takes. I was grateful to have supportive, expansive, thoughtful supervisors to help guide me through that process, but to also hold me accountable to the role of being a therapist, the honor of holding space for other people’s healing.”
When asked about her experience with Andres as a student, Tiffany Brown, PhD, recalled Andres’ positive impact on the program.
“Andres has left a lasting mark on the CFT program with a steadfast commitment to anti-racism and socially just therapy services. Not only is Andres a strong advocate for therapists using their authentic self as a meaningful change agent, but they also model this vulnerability in every facet of clinical and personal life. They are a true example of how one person can induce change for so many.”
During their time in the program, Andres also worked in the HEDCO Clinic Speech-Language-Hearing Center providing support to the Speak Up! program. Speak Up! is an interdisciplinary, gender-affirming communication group for adult transfeminine speakers. Andres described it as “an incredible learning opportunity.”
Andres returned to Utah after graduating, where they currently work for Encircle, a nonprofit providing therapy and community-building services to enable LGBTQIA+ youth to thrive. They are the Assistant Clinical Director and Director of Cultural Engagement there.
“Our work at Encircle specifically focuses on religiously conservative environments. The mantra of the organization is “no sides, only love.” I think that there can often be a strong feeling of having to choose, but you don’t have to sacrifice or choose a side. We’re trying to provide a space where families can focus on the skills and resources they need to enact the love that is so deeply there.”
During the pandemic, Andres has been using teletherapy to continue his clinical practice.
“Teletherapy has provided me with the opportunity to reach more people who are distant. That’s been very meaningful and unexpected. One of the challenges is that I focus on trauma healing, which has been difficult to recreate in a physically disconnected space. A lot of my work has shifted from deep trauma work to stabilization and support. We are all navigating a trauma together. It has been a meaningful experience for me to be able to say that I am also responding to a global pandemic. It’s overwhelming, anxiety producing, and we feel disconnected and lost, but our shared humanity, our shared overwhelm has been a community building experience.”
Andres offered the following advice to those trying to find ways to build and sustain relationships during the unprecedented challenges of the pandemic.
“It may sound counterintuitive, but the more in tune we are with ourselves, the better we are able to connect with others. Sometimes we miss that when we talk about relationship dynamics. Can we understand who we are and become familiar with the parts of ourselves that are celebratory and that we want to be seen, but also the pieces of ourselves that are hurt, that have been rejected? If we can become familiar with ourselves, then we are better able to recognize where we are coming from and be able to communicate that with the people in our lives.”
Andres reflected on the experience of returning to Utah after their time at the UO.
“It has been transformative for me to come back to my community in Utah. My healing, growth, and my queer identity development happened in Oregon. I was able to grow among the trees of Oregon. I feel deeply rooted in my clinical practice from the UO and I’m able to share that training here. I’m a little pine tree here in the mountains of Utah. I’m carrying with me some of the seeds of Oregon.”