​Who am I?
About Allison (and Brown Dog Therapy and Wellness)
I'm Allison Gasca-Backman, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and owner of Brown Dog Therapy and Wellness. I see clients virtually in Virginia and Maryland, and I specialize in supporting adults navigating trauma, eating disorders, anxiety and depression, and cultural/identity exploration.
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I believe that my clients are the experts of their own experience, and I am honored to walk alongside of you as you figure out what you need to feel more at peace in the world. I work from what's called a "Person in Environment" lens, meaning that I believe that all of us are impacted by the environments in which we live. This is the Social Worker in me through-and-through! This also means that I am aware of the negative impacts of the dominant White Supremacist paradigm, and I believe that society treats everyone differently based on their intersecting identities. I am comfortable discussing privilege and oppression and how these forces differentially impact the therapy space, especially with regard to race, culture, body size, health/ability status, religion, sexuality, and gender identity. I am eager to be your co-conspirator in challenging and breaking down some of these structural barriers in order to help you find your own voice and to live more freely and wholly in your identity.
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As a practitioner, I pull from a variety of techniques and theories, as I believe that a "one size fits all" approach can harm clients and does not allow clients to chart their own healing journeys. I pull from models such as Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), parts work, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Liberation Health, Health at Every Size (HAES), Motivational Interviewing, and Narrative Therapy. In my clinical work, I aim to use a strengths-based, empowerment-focused approach, meaning that I do not believe that anything about you or your lived experience is "wrong" or "broken."
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I received my Master's in Social Work from Boston University in 2017 and my Master's in Public Health from Boston University in 2018, focusing on the intersection of individual healing and social justice, blending the micro-level and macro-level factors that impact our health and well-being. I have been working in the field of mental health since 2010, and I have worked in a variety of settings, including psychiatric hospitals, partial hospitalization programs, intensive outpatient settings, community mental health centers, and in the outpatient space. I have extensive experience working with teens, adults, and families, especially individuals and families who are grappling with depression, anxiety, immigration and acculturation stress, chronic health concerns, past and current trauma, eating disorders, grief, pregnancy, identity exploration, and the general stress of living and functioning in a world that is often unkind to folks. Some topics of particular interest include identity, oppression, culture, trauma, body image, and early life experiences that shape how we view the world as adults.​
What is it like to work with Brown Dog Therapy and Wellness?
Therapy can be a wild experience, especially for people who have never worked with a therapist before. Oftentimes, people wonder if they're "doing it right." I can promise you that there is no right way to do therapy. Simply by showing up, you are doing it right.
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What is therapy with me like? It's important to me that I bring my whole self to the work, and I don't pretend to know everything, nor do I pretend to be a serious, unemotional robot. I am just as happy to talk about hidden messages in Taylor Swift lyrics as I am to talk about regulating your nervous system or working through your childhood trauma, and I love using bad metaphors to try to illustrate a point. I am happy to swap recipes, memes, manicure ideas, or book recommendations, and I am always delighted to meet pets who make an appearance during sessions.
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In our sessions, we will probably laugh a lot. We may also cry. That's right- therapists sometimes cry too! There will be times when I mess up and misremember the name of your youngest kid, or I might say something that doesn't land right with you. There might be days when you don't want to come to therapy, or where you feel annoyed at me, and there will also be days when you can't wait to spill the tea that happened over the past week, or about a recent success. All of it is welcome here.
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Our relationship will be authentic, and I can guarantee that I will learn a lot from you. I spend a lot of time encouraging you to tune in to how an emotion feels in your body, and I promise that we will talk about your nervous system and your Window of Tolerance throughout our relationship. I am happy to accompany you through a brief season of life, or walk alongside of you for several years in our work together. There is no one right path to therapy or healing, and I will work with you to figure out the path in our relationship that feels right for you.
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Seeking therapy with a new provider is incredibly brave, and I honor your vulnerability and commitment to investing fully in yourself. I look forward to working with you.
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