Schema Therapy in Austin, TX

I am a Licensed Professorial Counselor. I am specialized with Schema Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, EMDR and Emotionally Focused Therapy. I worked in clinical settings, including behavioral health services with inpatients and out patients setting, and have worked with a wide variety of clients: individuals, couples, groups, families. I help you fine-tune your lives so that your pain is smaller and your joys are greater. Through compassion, respect, and working together, I strive to create a strong and trusting relationship with each and every client in order help you reach your goals.

I have been a practicing psychotherapist for more than thirty years and work with couples, families, and individuals 18 years old and up. My areas of specialty are addiction, alcohol use, anxiety, anger management, behavioral issues, and many more. I use various modalities: Acceptance and Commitment (ACT), Cognitive Behavioral (CBT), Existential, Exposure Response Prevention, Schema Therapy, Interpersonal, Marital, and Family Therapy. At times this can appear to be difficult, but it is much more difficult to avoid our problems.

We are passionate about helping people create and live their best life and we believe everyone can experience their dream life when they have support and a clear direction. We love helping people reconnect, or uncover, their life’s passions through exploring past experiences and identifying what brings them joy and purpose. There is never the right or wrong time to start working on yourself and creating a life that you personally feel is worth living. We are here to help you along that journey.

Sex Therapy for Individuals, Couples, and All Relationship Lifestyles. Do you struggle with depression or anxiety within your relationship(s)? Do you not see eye-to-eye with your partner(s)? Do you struggle with meeting people but desire human interaction? What about struggling with sexual intimacy and having a hard time finding a therapist to talk freely about your Sex Life?

Finding a therapist who feels like the right fit for you can be hard. And to add an extra layer of difficulty, you’re often trying to find a therapist when life is already hard enough. I enjoy providing therapy for teenagers and young adults experiencing: 1) grief and loss, 2) stress associated with major life changes, and 3) anxiety related to perfectionism or performance. While I am best trained to provide Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), I usually integrate CBT with other types of therapy based on my clients' needs!

If you’re struggling with difficult thoughts and feelings, your relationships, or are just feeling stressed and overwhelmed… I can understand that! It can be really hard to be a human being, especially in the last few years. If you’re looking for support with these kinds of issues, you’ve come to the right place. I help adults struggling with issues related to mood and emotions, low self-esteem, relationships, stress, and other difficulties to find greater ease, wellbeing and fulfillment using research-supported approaches to therapy.

I help others fine-tune their lives so that their pain is smaller and their joys are greater. Through compassion, respect, and working together, I strive to create a strong and trusting relationship with each and every client in order help them reach their goals. I am specializing in the treatment of anxiety, depression and relationship issues, trauma, abuse, attachment issues, low self-esteem, personality disorders, and stressors. If you're looking for extra support through a challenging situation, I look forward to working with you to achieve your goals. Please call or email me.

I am passionate about helping couples craft deeply nourishing and caring relationships. In our meetings we learn the skills required for loving another person well: good communication, problem solving and repair. We explore what it means for each person to feel loved and cared for and work toward a dance that honors each members unique preferences. I also help couples have important conversations about crafting a mutually satisfying shared vision of what a meaningful life is as romantic partners, parents and community members. We work on healing from painful past ruptures such as infidelity, substance use and frequent fighting.

Therapy offers a chance to learn new ways to cope with emotionally charged life challenges & process the things in life that keep us stuck. In our sessions, I'll help you identify & challenge self-defeating patterns that leave you stuck, unsatisfied, & less than your best. We'll develop a plan based on your needs & what you want out of therapy. I offer a supportive, nonjudgemental space for you to reflect, process, & grow. My approach is strength based, interactive, & collaborative, & I believe that authenticity, respect, & a sense of humor all contribute to a strong therapeutic relationship.

You're in your 20s or 30s, wrestling with relentless pressure from all sides: a persisting sense of anxiety that just won't let up, a challenging job, and complicated relationships. You're seeking a way to dial down the constant worry, gain confidence in your career, and cultivate healthier relationships. You're longing for less stress and more instances of genuine happiness. If you relate to this, maybe it's time for a new strategy.

I primarily work with clients within queer community, especially trans folks, and lifestyles such as kink, polyamory, or sex work. My hope is to provide a safe space (and a sliding scale!) where you don't have to spend your time in therapy educating your therapist on the concepts that are everyday within your own life. I love work around emotional regulation, communication and conflict resolution, with individuals and with multiple people within a relationship, to help develop healthier coping mechanisms, processing techniques, and self-acceptance/self-care methods to improve feelings of empowerment, security, and life satisfaction.

Brent Ruebensam is a Licensed Professional Counselor located in Austin,Texas. Brent specializes in working with clients who identify as LGBTQIA+ seeking assistance either with particular issues or pursue services to improve their overall mental health.

Treading water long enough can lead to exhaustion and the waves of life can often feel unsurmountable on your own. The loudness in our cultures and in our minds bring heavy burdens that can trap you and make you forget who you really are. It takes a great deal of courage to reach for something different. You have taken a huge step considering therapy. Choosing someone you can trust and feel the freedom to be authentic with, in order to explore some of the deepest parts of life, is important. I am passionate about helping you find this freedom and live authentically while embodying your truest nature, despite the waves that come.

Are you yet to find a therapist you feel comfortable with and can relate to? Has previous therapy “only scratched the surface” of the real reasons you are seeking help? You’re not alone. My clients often need a deep sense of connection in order to feel safe in their most vulnerable moments. Most of my clients are looking for a highly-trained psychologist who is not afraid to show her humanity nor bear witness to theirs. I aim to make you feel seen, understood, and safe as you work through difficult emotions and/or painful past experiences.

If you're looking for lasting change, more fulfilling relationships, and meaningful connection, then let's begin. Whatever brings you to therapy, there is hope. Together we will observe how the events in your life have formed deep rooted beliefs about how the world will respond to you. I believe that change happens in the context of relationships. Our therapeutic relationship will work to ease your distress and equip you towards transformation. We haven't been promised not to experience pain in this life, but I believe we are not meant to experience it alone.

The most rewarding thing I've been told by a client is, "They Get Me". I say this because my clients have been let down in the past by systems that failed to help or by other therapists who felt that they were beyond change. What I strive to create is an environment where clients feel they are valued, heard, and understood. The clients that tend to do best in my care are often neurodivergent or with diagnosed personality disorders due to how these conditions are chronically misunderstood. If you have tried standard therapies but still struggle to control your emotions, thoughts, or behaviors, I'd like to help.

I believe that a collaborative approach between therapist and client is most effective. My intention is to empower my clients to put the pieces together to help solve the mysteries of their inner world. I truly believe that my clients can find their truth and move towards mental wellness. I use an integrated approach to treatment utilizing Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, EMDR, Internal Family System, Motivational Interviewing, and Solution Focused Therapy. I also believe in equipping my clients with coping skills to practice between sessions.

Have you been feeling trapped by societal expectations, questioning your personal identity, facing relationship conflicts or stifling family dynamics? Or experiencing work or academic stress and overwhelm? Do you find yourself coping through means of avoidance, denial, detachment, or distraction? These coping modes often stem from our family of origin and are not adequate for healthy adult functioning and impede forward progress. If you recognize this in yourself and are seeking a change in your approach to life, look no further. If you are ready to commit to change in whatever form it may come, reach out to me.

I work to create a highly collaborative and empowering relationship in therapy which emphasizes resilience, empowerment, and the ability to heal at any stage of life from experiences of trauma and abuse. My approach emphasizes in-depth exploration of mental health challenges with compassion and curiosity to not only manage symptoms of mental illness but also to identify and address the core emotional wounds underlying many of our most common mental health struggles. We work together to integrate the body, emotions, and mind to maximize a holistic approach to therapy and healing work.