Allison Gasca-Backman, LCSW

My name is Allison (she/her), and I am the owner and creator of Brown Dog Therapy and Wellness. I have been working in the field of mental health and wellness for 14 years, and my area of expertise is in working with individuals who struggle with depression, anxiety, trauma, and eating disorders, by helping them build compassion for themselves as they heal from perfectionism, self-criticism, and feeling stuck (all tenets of Diet Culture).

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with a private practice in Virginia and Maryland. 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. In my clinical work, I work in 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 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.

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.

I am passionate about social justice and believe that the therapy space is inherently political. As a person in a larger body, I have first-hand experience of how bodies and identities become politicized and marginalized, and how disconnecting from our bodies can keep us numb to our emotions and in a state of trauma response. I believe that divesting from Diet Culture allows us to come back into our zone of nervous system regulation and begin to heal from the painful experiences that we've lived through.