Today we’d like to introduce you to Brenda Lee Gauthier
Brenda Lee, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
If you had told me years ago that I would become a therapist, I might not have believed you. My first love was television production – the creative energy, the collaborative spirit, the magic of bringing stories to life. I thrived in that team environment and cherished every moment of the creative process. Yet beneath the surface of my entertainment career, a deeper story was unfolding.
My relationship with healing began long before I ever considered it as a profession. Growing up in an alcoholic household, I navigated the complex waters of family dysfunction from an early age. Depression, self-hatred, and shame became familiar companions, and my relationships often reflected the internal turbulence I carried. I sought validation through external achievements – high-profile jobs, relationships, anything that might make me feel worthy. The entertainment industry, with its emphasis on image and success, initially seemed like the perfect place to prove my worth.
But Los Angeles, while vibrant and full of opportunity, amplified my struggles. The competitive, often cutthroat nature of the industry demanded a strong sense of self that I hadn’t yet developed. Even as I excelled in my work, the whispers of “not good enough” grew louder. It thrived on confidence, connections, and an ability to sell yourself in ways I never could. I didn’t have the armor for it. It was during this challenging time that I first began exploring inner work, discovering breathwork and modalities that addressed subconscious programming. These practices offered glimpses of another way of being, but the environment’s intensity ultimately became too overwhelming. The feeling of not being good enough wasn’t just a thought—it was in my bones. So I did what I’d always done when things got too heavy. I left.
My journey led me to Austin, where I had family support and the space to deeply explore my healing path. A pivotal moment came when one of my mentors shared a perspective that would change everything: I wasn’t broken, and I had everything I needed to heal within myself. At first, I couldn’t even entertain the idea. When you’ve spent a lifetime feeling fundamentally flawed, the notion that there’s something whole and intact inside of you feels like a cruel joke. Light? Where? All I could see was the wreckage. Yet this seed of wisdom would eventually take root and from where I continue to work.
Through a combination of body-based practices, integrative breathwork, therapy, spiritual practices, meditation, and a hundred small moments of undoing the lies I had carried, I started to understand. The light had been there all along—I just hadn’t known how to look for it. Healing wasn’t something I had to chase—it was something I had to uncover. And once I realized that, I couldn’t unsee it.
The decision to become a therapist emerged organically from this personal journey. Really it wasn’t even a decision. It was just the next choice on a path that was unfolding. I had always been fascinated by psychology and human behavior – mostly because I was a puzzle I couldn’t solve. My path was somewhat unconventional; I was already trained in hypnosis, NLP, and integrative breathwork – modalities that were considered “woo woo” at the time – before pursuing my clinical license. If I wanted to bridge the gap between the expansive work and what the world would take seriously, I needed credentials. So, in what felt like a backwards move, I went back to school for my MSW to become a clinician.
This unique journey has shaped my approach to therapy. My personal experience with healing, combined with both alternative and clinical training, allows me to offer a comprehensive perspective to clients who, like my younger self, are searching for their way home to themselves. In many ways, I turned my personal journey into my career. But really, it’s more than that. It’s a way to reach back into the dark and help others find their way through. Because if I know anything for sure, it’s this: Just because you feel lost, you don’t have to stay lost. And more importantly, healing doesn’t happen in isolation. We cannot do it alone.
I guess as I look at the path, I could create some sort of poetic justice if I wanted. Maybe leaving television production wasn’t about giving up on creativity – it was about channeling it in a different direction.(Probably not, but it sounds good!) Now, instead of producing shows, I help people produce new narratives for their lives. My background in entertainment, combined with my personal healing journey and professional training, creates a unique alchemy in my therapeutic practice. Every client’s story matters, and that’s what I am here for, to help them resolve the chapters that were written for them and take ownership of the stories ahead…
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
My career has been pretty seamless – meaning I haven’t really suffered from job loss or unemployment.
I would say the challenges are nestled into the type of job and industry. Working in private practice can be very isolating. I actually thrive in team environments and in collaboration and the nature of this work isn’t really set up that way unless you’re in an organization. Which is one of the things I loved about residential treatment centers.
The paperwork in residential settings is so overwhelming and burdensome that I think it creates a barrier to working in those environments. It becomes unmanageable and attributes to high turnover and quick burnout. I love working in residential settings but administratively it was too much.
I also think the endless amount of training and learning in this work can feel overwhelming. This is a field where we the science is evolving so quickly. The brain and the body and the psyche are so layered and complex, there is always more to know.
One of the struggles I did experience along the way was finding residential settings that had a good balance between recovery and clinical work. This is something I am happy to elaborate on in conversation.
As you know, we’re big fans of Integrative Therapeutic Services. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
My business name is Integrative Therapeutic Services, but people don’t really know me by that. They know me by my name. I currently work as a solo private practice where I work with individuals and groups. Additionally I facilitate breathwork workshops and retreats in the community and I am currently in collaboration for a series of workshops called East Meets West. (I talk about this in collaboration question)
I would say I specialize in deep transformation. My work is grounded in nervous system regulation—because without it, real healing can’t happen. Most of the people I get are recovering from complex trauma, addiction, and ADHD. And I work very well with people who struggle with feeling “not good enough.” Whoever shows up, the work is to help them break free from subconscious programming that keeps them stuck. My approach blends neuroscience, somatic practices, parts work and breathwork to rewire limiting patterns and create lasting change.
I also facilitate group work and breathwork experiences that accelerate healing on multiple levels. My newest collaboration bridges Eastern philosophy and Western neuroscience, expanding the possibilities for mind-body integration.
I am especially wanting to move more into group and community work. And feel very passionate about reshaping workplace culture—because burnout and disconnection shouldn’t be the norm. The way we’re wired matters, and when we work with our nervous systems instead of against them, real change happens. And I believe this could make a huge difference in workplace culture.
I’m not sure what makes me stand out. I’m not very conventional. It could be my passion about nervous system regulation as not all therapists seem to focus on that. (which baffles me). I believe that my focus on neural somatic repatterning is probably what could set me apart from others. And I am fairly holistic. I blend Eastern and Western practices when I can.
My kind of client is someone who has some history with therapy but feels stuck or plateaued. I am a good fit for anyone who is interested in digging in and doing the hard work – as the only way out is through….I also have a lot of faith in people that they have the capacity to heal and make the changes they want for themselves.
I really believe that most of people’s patterns is not who they are – but more of what they were taught to do or be. And just because it’s been this way their whole life, it doesn’t have to stay that way. We are so much more than these patterns and I love helping people learn this about themselves. I also know, we have to work with both body and mind in order for change to be sustainable.
One thing I want people to know is that I am available and very interested in bringing my practices to groups of people and organizations who are looking for a different way of doing things. Who want to be healthier in their relationships with themselves, others and in community. Who want to reduce the stress levels and interpersonal tensions. I am told that I have a unique point of view and “had never heard it put that way.” Recently a client asked if she could hire me to come into her business and teach them what I am teaching her. So – that’s some good feedback!
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
Upcoming Collaboration
I love to team up with people and create impactful and transformational workshops for people to experience.
I am currently teaming up with a local yogi, Gioconda Parker who has been teaching yoga and philosophy for more than 25 years. She does have some experience in MH and I have some training in yoga. We are doing this workshop series because Eastern philosophy and Western Psychology both offer profound but incomplete perspectives on healing, growth, and transformation. Western psychology excels at identifying and shifting thought patterns, understanding trauma, and mapping the nervous system, but it often remains intellectual—focused on analyzing rather than fully embodying change. Eastern traditions, particularly yoga, offer a lived experience of transformation through breath, movement, ethics, and energetic awareness, but they can sometimes bypass the psychological insights needed to address deep-seated wounds and conditioning.
By integrating the two, we create a more complete and sustainable approach to personal growth. Western psychology can help us understand why we struggle to embody yogic principles like non-attachment, presence, and surrender, while Eastern wisdom gives us the tools and compass to actually live them. It’s not enough to know we should let go—our bodies, nervous systems, and subconscious patterns have to learn how. This kind of integration is what allows people to move beyond intellectual insight into real, embodied change.
We are also creating a 10-month long experience called The You Project that will guide people out of their limitations and step into their potential. This is another East Meets West guided journey. Stay tuned for more on that!
Desire for Collaboration
I am very much interested in teaming up with people who complement my skill set and are interested in transformational work that includes a holistic formula. Really driving home that we need nervous system regulation and have to include both body in mind in order for anything to change. Workshops, retreats, and general presentations. I would love to build a business that takes it on the road!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.brendaleegauthier.com
- Instagram: #neuralsomaticrepatterning
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brendaleegauthierlcsw/
