My Approach to Helping
Come home to the fullness of your humanity
In the search for a therapist, you might find yourself seeking not just understanding, but a deeper connection to your inner world. If you're feeling the whispers of dis-ease, anxiety, fear, or a sense that something is fundamentally off—know that these can be signals from your soul, calling you to remember, awaken, and heal. I'm here to navigate this journey with you. I'm Stephanie Brumfield, and I specialize in soulful and centered psychotherapy, which at its heart, is soul care.
Our world is experiencing a mass awakening, where the call to heal ancestral burdens, navigate painful childhoods, and break cycles of dysfunction is louder than ever. This work is not just about healing; it's about awakening to your true potential. My practice is a sanctuary for those ready to explore their authentic self and embody more of their light. This journey often involves navigating through grief, which I see not as an obstacle but as a gateway to profound self-discovery and connection.
I resonate deeply with individuals undergoing significant life transitions and personal awakenings, especially those who are highly sensitive, neurodivergent, or feel out of step with conventional paths. My approach is eclectic and deeply soulful, drawing from a rich tapestry of therapeutic orientations including psychodynamic, humanistic, developmental, attachment-based, Jungian, shamanic, transpersonal, existential, somatic, and relational frameworks. I incorporate elements such as archetypes, astrology (I'm a practicing astrologer and love to use this sacred roadmap), energy medicine, metaphor, and mythology into our sessions, tailoring each encounter to meet you where you are.
Psychotherapy, in my practice, transcends traditional clinical approaches. It's a magical, deeply spiritual journey toward self-discovery and reclamation. Whether you're grappling with unnamed grief inherited from your family and ancestors or seeking to navigate your healing journey as a cycle breaker and wounded healer, I offer a compassionate, safe space for exploration and transformation.
Together, we will co-create a therapeutic space that honors your unique story and journey. I invite you to bring all your weird, wacky, unmasked, and unexplored parts to our sessions. Your narrative and personal mythology are vital, and rewriting them is a powerful process of self-reclamation and healing. My role is to ensure you feel seen, understood, and supported as we delve into the depth of your soul's call for care.
As we embark on this path together, know that you're not alone. The work we do is challenging, but it's also filled with moments of profound insight and liberation. Your soul's journey towards healing is a sacred one, and I'm here to guide and support you every step of the way. Let's uncover the light within you, healing not just yourself, but contributing to the healing of our collective humanity.
“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.” — Maya Angelou
Practicing under as part of Grateful Heart Holistic Therapy Center, a nonprofit organization providing affordable counseling and psychotherapy services to children, teens, couples, families, and groups throughout northern California and the Bay Area.
More Info About My Practice
Sessions are 50 minutes long or 80 minutes long each week. I ask that all new clients commit to weekly sessions. I hold a weekly time slot for each of my clients. Bi-weekly sessions at 80 minutes may be available after an initial period of working together, depending on treatment goals.
Standard therapy sessions last 50 minutes and occur weekly, suiting most people's needs. However, an 80 minute session might be more appropriate for you if you find it takes some time to relax and engage fully at the beginning of a session, or if your nervous system requires a bit more time to settle in. If you often feel like 50 minutes isn't sufficient to thoroughly explore your thoughts and feelings, or if you're currently navigating through significant processes and prefer to delve deeper into your sessions, the extended 80 minute format could offer the additional time you need.
How My Own Struggles Made Me a Better Therapist
My journey to becoming the therapist I am today has been deeply informed by my own experiences of awakening, healing from childhood and family of origin trauma, and navigating the intricate paths of grief work. These experiences have not only been transformative on a personal level but have fundamentally shaped my approach to therapy, allowing me to connect with and support my clients on a deeply empathic level.
My awakening experience was a journey through the underworld, a term I use to describe the deep, often shadowy process of confronting and healing from trauma. This journey taught me the value of facing our darkest fears and pains, not as enemies, but as teachers guiding us towards healing and growth. It instilled in me an understanding of the cyclical nature of death, rebirth, and transformation, mirroring the cycles of nature itself. This understanding has become a cornerstone of my therapeutic approach, especially in guiding clients through their grief and trauma.
Healing from childhood and family of origin trauma was a profound process of reclaiming my story and voice. It allowed me to see how our families and upbringing shape us, often leaving wounds that go unrecognized and unhealed for years. This personal healing journey deepened my empathy for those struggling with similar issues, enabling me to offer not just professional support, but a genuine, compassionate presence grounded in shared experience.
My work with grief has taught me that it is not something to be fixed or feared, but a powerful force for personal transformation. Grief has the potential to open us up to the deepest aspects of ourselves and our connections to others. This perspective allows me to help clients navigate their grief not as an end, but as a passage to deeper self-awareness and connection.
The shamanic aspects of my journey have imbued me with a deep respect for the spiritual dimensions of healing. Understanding that we are all part of a larger, interconnected web of life has enabled me to guide clients in exploring their own connections to the world around them, finding healing and purpose in ways that transcend traditional therapy.
My personal struggles have equipped me with a unique set of tools and perspectives. I am deeply familiar with the underworld, the dark, difficult places we fear to tread, and I know firsthand how to navigate it toward healing and light. This experience has made me a deeply empathic therapist, one who not only understands the theoretical aspects of healing but who has lived through the process of transformation. I bring this depth of understanding, empathy, and lived experience to my work, offering a therapeutic approach that is both deeply informed and profoundly compassionate.
