Name: Karissa Brennan, LMHC, DCC
Licensing Info: NYS MHC 005767; DCC 1584
Where you live: New York, New York
Hometown: Basking Ridge, New Jersey
Amount of time working at Talkspace: nine months
Time working as a therapist: five years
Why are you working in therapy/mental health?
I’m curious about what drives us, what helps us feel empowered and what takes our power away. I work in mental health because I find being with people in those quiet, honest moments is the most humbling and valuable experience, and I’m lucky enough to do it every day with the most fascinating people.
What made you start working at Talkspace?
I was interested in how the app worked. Anything that securely increases ease of access to therapy intrigues me. At that time there were not many legitimate therapy apps. I felt an app could reach countless people looking for connection and support.
What has made you feel the most pride in your work?
Teaching others about online therapy and how to make it as effective as possible has made me feel the most pride. I love being a trainer with therapists looking to work at Talkspace. Guiding them on how to use the platform and what to expect with online therapy makes me feel like I’m reaching even more people than I can speak to directly.
Can you think of a specific instance or moment that was inspiring?
I’m inspired when I can be vulnerable with someone whose authenticity I admire. I like when we acknowledge and accept each others’ humanness. Sometimes I ask the right question, and sometimes I ask the wrong question. When we give each other the chance to work through things, the conversations that follow are incredible either way. I’m inspired when people are willing to go deeper.
Why is what you do important?
I believe our society has shifted away from how we as humans are naturally meant to interact with ourselves, each other and the world around us. We start to think we’re wrong or bad for doing or wanting certain things. But when we think about why we might feel this, it is much easier to move forward through the feeling rather than get caught up in it.
If you had once piece of advice for a therapy-seeker, what would it be?
Try something new. Therapy is your space to try something different. If you find yourself wanting to cut your therapist off when they do not meet an expectation, try bringing up what isn’t working. If you feel bored, try bringing that up as well! We can free ourselves from old patterns by trying something new.
Note: You will need to sign up for Talkspace to chat with Karissa or any other Talkspace therapist. Make sure you live in the same state as Karissa before you request her.
Talkspace articles are written by experienced mental health-wellness contributors; they are grounded in scientific research and evidence-based practices. Articles are extensively reviewed by our team of clinical experts (therapists and psychiatrists of various specialties) to ensure content is accurate and on par with current industry standards.
Our goal at Talkspace is to provide the most up-to-date, valuable, and objective information on mental health-related topics in order to help readers make informed decisions.
Articles contain trusted third-party sources that are either directly linked to in the text or listed at the bottom to take readers directly to the source.
