Meet Teresa Brown, M.Ed. | Licensed Professional Counselor, National Certified Counselor, Registered Play Therapist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Teresa Brown, M.Ed. and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Teresa, what inspires you?
The inspiration is to honor the life of my son, Cameron, who struggled with anxiety and depression from a very young age. Through years of therapy and medication, we did not understand the intergenerational attachment wounds, hidden trauma, and a genetic predisposition for anxiety and depression that was the root cause of his pain. The search for answers compelled me to pursue the study of mental health with a fervent desire to prevent the pain of our loss for another family. Education and training lead to a newfound knowledge of the impact and mysteries of an insecure attachment. A deeper understanding began to evolve of a silent force that shapes every relationship in our lives. Our focus at the Attachment & Trauma Center of Houston is not to place blame or judgement on parents and previous generations.

At the heart of it lies a simple, profound truth: every human, from their earliest breath, craves to be “seen, heard, and valued.” It is the crucible from which genuine, authentic souls emerge. Our purpose is to share this wisdom, to forge connections within families, ripple through communities, until this truth becomes an indelible part of our collective understanding. At our center, we envision a world where the nurturing of secure attachments is a shared responsibility, a communal embrace that fortifies the very fabric of our existence. Together, we shall build communities rooted in empathy, compassion, and authentic connection—unwavering support for every individual’s journey towards wholeness.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Advocating for children has been my passion for many years which lead me to a career in public education. A desire to empower children who struggle the most in a conventional classroom prompted a desire to work in Special Education settings within public schools.

A desire to understand the root cause underlying mental health challenges spurred the next change in my career to advocate for families and children. That journey to learn more about mental health and the long-lasting impact on children and families first lead me to become a school counselor in public education. Unfortunately, public education is not designed for the type of deep family healing required to change lives, families, and communities.

Through an internship at the Julianna Poor Memorial Counseling Center, my understanding of the types of attachment and the healing of intergenerational trauma became stronger and more focused. In private practice as a Registered Play Therapist, the recognition that parents were doing their best to understand the causes of the maladaptive behaviors of their children. Most people tend to parent the way they were parented or the complete opposite. Neither approach is beneficial in most cases, it is much more effective to implement an approach away from punitive and harsh methods with consistent expectations. Continued education and understanding as clinicians led to our belief that “all behavior is a form of communication” since children are not always able to verbalize their needs. The TBRI © (Trust Based Relational Intervention) parenting program is at the core of how we build trust and strong core beliefs in children. I began to recognize that as a mental health healing center, it was necessary to focus more specifically on healing attachment wounds and intergenerational trauma through a family systems approach. This led to the opening of the Attachment & Trauma Center of Houston with a group of highly credentialed and specialized clinicians who are passionate about educating others and healing deep emotional wounds. Our growth and expansion have been a testament to our hardwork and passion for the healing of attachment and intergenerational trauma wounds. As a team, we envision a world where the nurturing of secure attachments is a shared responsibility, a communal embrace that fortifies the very fabric of our existence. Together, we shall build villages rooted in empathy, compassion, and authentic connection—unwavering support for every individual’s journey towards wholeness.
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 list could go on forever!! Houston has something for everyone! Concerts, museums, zoos, arboretums, a water wall, Nasa, Rodeo, sports teams, and the food… I absolutely LOVE the diversity and the melting of so many cultures here. Trips to the zoo, NASA, and museums with my children are priceless memories for our family. To have the opportunity to be at a beach or be in the middle of the amazing Sam Houston National Forest in about 45 minutes adds to the long list of interesting things to enjoy in the greater Houston area. There is something for any type of interest here! The best part of the amazing things to do here is absolutely the friendly and diverse people we meet along the way.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?

Cameron inspires me to provide education and knowledge for the families that seek our assistance as they navigate mental health challenges. My youngest son Garrett also inspires me as he consistently strives to make a difference in the lives of others. Through his support in the business area, he ensures that our message of healing is available through marketing and social media.

Website: https://www.atchouston.com

Image Credits
The picture with the dolphin was taken in Cancun Mexico on a cruise a few months before Cameron died. The second picture is when hewn to the prom a couple of years before he died.