Today we’d like to introduce you to Brii Valdez
Hi Brii, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I’m a bilingual & trauma-informed clinical therapist, art therapist, certified yoga teacher, and multidisciplinary artist practicing in Austin, TX. But I am also a second-generation immigrant, queer, partner, bicultural Latina, mother, creative, and lifelong student. My journey began a bit unconventionally. I began my professional career out of college at several large tech companies and quickly realized that there was something missing. Since I could remember I always kept a sketchbook with me in my bag on the go and privately expressed myself through paints and fibers at home- these practices made me feel most alive. Still, my life felt unsustainable and off. Because of this and snowballing events in my life at the time, I finally took the leap to dive into my creative ideas and interests full-time. I was excited to see what would happen, but I was also so scared of the unknown, especially since I didn’t have a concrete next step to fall into.
Leaving a stable job with no landing ground was not easy and took so much internal and external support. So many mental and physical health concerns arose which led to so many doctor appointments and going to therapy for the first time in my life. My partner was and continues to be extremely supportive in my healing journey. At what felt like a new low, I pushed everything away and turned back to creativity, a space where I have always felt nurtured
I signed up for oil painting intensives at the San Francisco Art Institute where I allowed myself to express my inner narrative externally. As an independent, full-time artist, I felt compelled to document my sickness. For example, I chose to paint my iteration of my mental and physical illness through the use of self-portraiture. I was instantly drawn to the eeriness of a specific photograph I took for a doctor’s visit; it was how I viewed myself, how I felt about myself. The photo was taken quickly, instantaneously, unposed, and unchoreographed. It was raw and “ugly.” I examined myself repeatedly, which encouraged me to confront and document my sickness for what it was, in the present, past, and future, in my own emotional dealing. The process helped me confront past traumas that I otherwise would not be comfortable approaching without the use of artwork. I learned that art is subjectively made and processed (just as in this example introspection), doesn’t need to be of utility, and gives voice to the voiceless. The therapeutic outcome and learnings from this process led me to believe that there is healing to be found in this way of working.
While I was taking courses at the San Francisco Art Institute, I met a practicing art therapist and I learned that utilizing the arts to heal and realize self-understanding and connection can be a full-time profession. All of my efforts and curiosities led to getting my masters degree in Art Therapy and Counseling at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Their mission in exploring the relationship between life experiences and art making with a social justice focus completely fit my goals and interests. My interests included working with those in emotionally abusive familial relationships, exploring the role of therapeutic art in healing chronic stress and illness, applications to the Spanish-speaking immigrant populations, how different media could intersect with my research interests, and how the artist’s identity as a practicing art therapist and patient contributes to therapeutic practice. This continues to be the case with refinement in my research process.
Extended family in Texas ultimately brought our family to Austin. I’ve learned that Texas in general has a pretty small art therapy community, but it’s potent, alive, and growing. I’m thrilled to be included in a pioneering field in the state. I’m excited to continue growing and contributing to the growing body of research in the field as well as supporting the mental wellbeing of our community through the arts. I firmly believe that creativity is the language of the soul, and art therapy is a powerful tool to learn and expose this language.
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?
It definitely has not been a smooth road! Coming from an immigrant and Hispanic family, I did not feel encouraged to pursue creative dreams in mental health. With massive support from my partner, chosen family, and growing family, I left my job at Google with no plan but to fully dive into creative endeavors. This was so scary, especially with the high cost of living in San Francisco, pressures to return to a steady paycheck, the humility of going back to community college to complete pre-requisite courses after graduating with a bachelors degree from UCLA, moving across the country with my family without having been accepted to a masters program yet, and learning to live and learn through all of the mental and physical health concerns that popped up along the way. I was afraid of failing. It was a complicated mental game: I kept telling myself this is what I should’ve been doing from the beginning, how I wanted to start originally, and I placed a lot of blame and judgement on myself. It took a lot of work for me to believe that all of my life experiences fully contributed to my work as a bilingual counselor and art therapist, and without those experiences I probably wouldn’t be the clinician I am today.
Eventually, my drive to succeed and continual support from my partner and immediate family cancelled out fears of my dreams being squashed. Challenges continued throughout grad school with having a baby one month before beginning classes, covid turning all learning online for a year of my 3-year graduate career, and completing two years of practicum in very emotionally and mentally difficult environments. Graduating and moving to Texas presented and continues to present its challenges as well. I learned that fear of the unknown may be inevitable, but I also learned to take each challenge on step by step. I was finally pursuing a career in line with my life’s purpose. I wouldn’t change that liberating and fulfilling feeling for anything. I’m eternally grateful.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a bilingual (English and Spanish-speaking) Texas Licensed Professional Counselor- Associate, Registered Art Therapist- Provisional, and Certified Yoga Teacher specializing in trauma-informed care and mindfulness using a variety of therapeutic modalities and techniques in practice. Just reading that sentence out loud makes me feel so proud of myself.
My passion for healing has included working with English and Spanish-speaking children, young, adults, and adults in community mental health care and residential care in both inpatient and outpatient treatment settings. I currently work as a bilingual counselor at a community mental health agency in Austin, TX and will be accepting private practice clients in the near future. My interests lie in working with survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, those experiencing emotional disturbance difficulties with complex trauma-related stressors and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), those exploring self-identity and self-esteem, those navigating complex family dynamics, perinatal mental health, immigration-specific trauma (including third culture individuals and asylum seekers), those experiencing mood disorders, psychosis, and effects of chronic illness and stigma. I specialize in art therapy, body-based techniques, mindfulness practices, a person-centered approach, trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy, emotion focused therapy, attachment therapy, harm reduction, and trauma-informed yoga. I am informed by arts-based research, cultural-relational theories, polyvagal theory, neuropsychology, intersectional, feminist-based psychotherapy, and developmental psychology.
What sets my work apart is my experience and competence as a bilingual counselor and art therapist- there aren’t many of us! I am currently working on receiving all of my post-grad direct client hours to become a fully licensed professional counselor in Texas and a board-certified art therapist with the goal of continuing to serve the community. My goal as a therapist is to collaborate with clients on their healing journey. My clients are the experts of their own lives and it is my role to co-create a safe container with them to process lived experiences, be it in English or Spanish.
Along with my professional degrees, licenses, and certifications, I continue to pursue an active arts practice. I am researching the relationship between myself and my identities through research of the body-mind connection, engagement in community-based work, and learning about the systems that have the potential to hold space for relevant interactions. I am interested in how identity is formed in the spaces of ritual and repetition, how this informs identity formation of the intersectional self, how this influences intentional and unintentional performances in space, and how explorations of identity can inform subjective notions of individual and community healing. I am currently working on mixed media, performance, and textile pieces exhibiting mental and physical health topics that surface in the intersections of ancestry, immigration, childhood trauma, and mothering. This research influences future goals I have as a clinician. You can check more of my work out on my website!
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
I love all of the easy access to nature! The urban trail system is amazing, natural swimming holes are a must in the summer, being able to grow some of our own food is a treat, and the accessibility to state parks is very cool. I love that Austin feels like a big-small city with a slower, relaxed pace of living. And the welcoming community that comes along with this really makes this city come alive. It’s all so inspiring.
As for dislikes, I can do with less intense heat in the summer. I’m a huge walker, which is doable in the early summer mornings, but definitely has impacted how I engage with the city during the day. Something I’m still acclimating to- any tips would be most appreciated 🙂
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.briivaldez.studio/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/briiiivaldezstudio
Image Credits
Brittney (Brii) Valdez
