Meet Brooke Pechman | Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist | OCD, Anxiety & Trauma Specialist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Brooke Pechman and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Brooke, is your business focused on helping the community? If so, how?
My practice is dedicated to supporting others who suffer with OCD & Anxiety Based-Disorders, Eating Disorders & trauma. I feel passionate about helping individuals build awareness, insight and create opportunities for change. I see therapy as a life-enhancing participation in self-understanding, self-realization and self-compassion. When someone can recognize the maladaptive patterns and behaviors that are limiting them, they can start to create a more fulfilling and meaningful life. With so many of these disorders thriving in isolation and shame, I find it more important than ever, given the last few years, for people to have the opportunity to be feel both seen and heard as well as guided through a way out.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I started my private practice to create a safe, relational place for those suffering with OCD, anxiety and trauma to heal and grow. It was challenging to begin in the midst of a global pandemic, where much of my life was in isolation. It required leaning into my supports and believing that I could fulfill a growing need for mental health treatment, as I witnessed so many succumbing to the throws of their mental struggles. As a licensed clinician, I have extensive experience and training in treating these conditions, using evidenced-based practices, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Exposure Response Prevention Therapy and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). My style differs in that I embrace a more directive and collaborative approach than a more traditional psychoanalytic process. As someone who understands anxiety and trauma personally, I can empathize with what it feels like to be on other side of this dynamic. I believe in drawing upon my client’s inherent strengths and sense of resiliency, taking an active role in my sessions to help my clients heal and regain their sense of confidence. Especially in my work as an OCD therapist, I am often getting my hands dirty with the client, quite literally if we are doing a contamination exposure, as I will do an exposure with them. This can involve task-driven assignments that break down the relationship between our thoughts, feelings and behaviors – getting up-close and personal with the automatic thoughts that drive maladaptive patterns.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
This is a tough one — there’s so much I love in LA. Luckily, I am one of those Type A people that has made an itinerary for most trips. We would definitely spend a day in Malibu — starting off with a hike at Solstice Canyon, followed by breakfast burritos at Lily’s and spending the remainder of the day relaxing by the beach at Point Dume. Maybe getting an early dinner at Sunset Restaurant, Cafe Habana or Nobu (if we’re feeling fancy). For a Sunday, we would be getting brunch at Republique, checking out the Melrose Trading Post and then carving out some time to explore LACMA. I would also want to take them around Hollywood, Silverlake & Downtown LA – exploring boutiques along Sunset Blvd, grabbing lunch at one the many delicious spots in the area, like Sqirl or Pine and Crane, taking a walk around the Hollywood or Silverlake Reservoir and checking out the Broad Museum.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Before I decided to become a therapist, I was worried about whether it would feel like a competitive field (especially in Los Angeles), but what I have found since starting my own business is that I have never felt more supported by my therapist friends and colleagues. When I wanted to get started with opening my own practice, I was met with encouragement and support – friends and colleagues offering their time and expertise to guide me through this experience and cheering me on on the process. I remember getting my first referral from a therapist who has been in the field for 30+ years – someone I really admired and respected, which was an incredible feeling. Currently, I am a part of a couple consultation groups where therapists in private practice can come together to support and learn from one another. I think what feels unique about this work is that each therapist offers something different that is not mutually exclusive. I feel really proud to be part of a community that doesn’t need to tear each other down to be successful.

Website: https://www.brookepechmanlmft.com

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brooke-pechman-26683b189

Image Credits
Brand Design – Oh Yeah Creative