We were lucky to catch up with Brianna Sigg recently and have shared our conversation below.

Brianna, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Looking back at internships and apprenticeships can be interesting, because there is so much variety in people’s experiences – and often those experiences inform our own leadership style. Do you have an interesting story from that stage of your career that you can share with us?

I had this incredible opportunity to complete my clinical internship during graduate school in Namibia, Africa. I spent a lot of my life having big dreams and ideas but my confidence sometimes impacted by follow through. I hadn’t really been out of the country prior to this but I was determined to challenge myself to do this. I spent 3 months by myself in Namibia and worked 5 days a week at a Forensic Mental Health Hospital. It was one of the coolest things I have ever done and probably will ever do in my lifetime! I learned so much about myself on that trip, mostly I was able to see what I am capable of if I get outside of my comfort zone. This experience will continue to remind me to push myself and seek things out that exhilarate me.

Brianna, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I have worked in the mental health field for the last 12 years in a variety of different settings, including domestic abuse shelters, targeted case management, day treatment for youth, inpatient medical social work, psychiatric emergency department, therapy private practice and currently with the department of corrections. I am constantly feeling gratitude for being able to follow a career path that excites me and challenges me everyday. I think our society puts a lot of pressure on people to find a career that they are passionate about and sometimes that isn’t always possible however somehow I landed myself in the perfect field for my abilities and interests. I have always been a people person, I love listening to peoples stories and trying to understand their experiences. As a therapist, I get to learn from the clients I work with everyday and see all of the different levels of humanity. I provide therapy to kids, adolescents and adults who have experienced trauma, hold a severe and persistent mental illness or are hoping to explore identity. I work a lot with LGBTQ+ folks and LOVE to walk along side people as they build their confidence and find meaning in their lives. I also provide training and education to agencies and families regarding LGBTQ+ mental health and supporting LGBTQ+ youth.

I think it’s really important for people to know that asking for help is an incredible way to build a safe and healthy connection with another human. Everyone needs that at one point or another and I really hope this is something that continues to be celebrated and embraced rather than seen as a weakness. Life is weird and messy and can be really tough sometimes so we need each other. It’s easy to look around and see negativity and hatred but I challenge you to continue to seek out the people spreading love and compassion and curiosity because it will lighten that weight that so many of us carry through the world. Stop. Take a breath and look for some of the beauty that is around you.

Alright enough of the cheesiness. If readers take anything away from this, it is to be kind to yourself and if you are ever going through something or even if you just need a place for yourself where you need to vent or verbally process stuff, therapy is such a great option. I also want to remind people that finding a therapist that is a good fit for you is SO important. It’s okay to shop around a little. That connection is an important one and you deserve to feel seen and heard by the person you are working with!

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I think the biggest lesson that I had to unlearn was something that I had built up in my own mind. For a really long time I believed that I needed to be there for everyone. If anyone was struggling or needed something, I would drop everything to be there. That was something that I felt was admirable and it made me feel needed. As I got older and as I started to build my career as a social worker and clinician I learned how important boundaries are. Dropping everything to be there the second someone needs you can sometimes deter someone from utilizing their own skills and strengths. I had to learn that it isn’t my responsibility to save anyone and in fact, it is more empowering to support people in helping themselves. I realized that dropping everything to be there for someone was more about managing my own feelings of discomfort and helplessness rather than what is actually in the best interest of the person I care about. It was a hard lesson and I still have to challenge myself to be aware of this but it is something that I will continue to work on throughout the entirety of my career and in my personal life.

Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?

Honestly, I think respectful curiosity is the most beneficial tool for succeeding in this field. If there is ever a time where you feel there is nothing left to learn from the people you are working with then I truly challenge you to take a step back and invite curiosity into your life and practice. I will never stop trying to understand a persons story and experience and I will never assume that I know all of the answers. It is imperative that you are able to incorporate self reflection into your life as a therapist and a mental health provider because this work will impact you in so many ways and if you aren’t aware of it you can sometimes lose parts of yourself. I don’t ever want to feel jaded and I don’t ever want to look at a person and see black and white. Curiosity is the best tool.

Contact Info:

• Website: curiositycounseling.org
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/
• Other: https://therapy-mn.com/team/brianna-sigg/

Image Credits
Britt duMonceaux- Render Photography