Brian Figueroa, LMSW, NY Psychotherapist (he/him/his)

Perspective is everything! I firmly believe therapy is a personal choice that should be done for oneself. It’s determined by how the individual feels with the therapist and fits in with dynamic, sort of like when you’re trying on your favorite outfit. Therapy is the ability to refill your wellness by being able to show up in a safe space as yourself and freely have an open dialogue about whatever you’re going through, feeling, and/or impacting you. As your therapist, I aim to allow space for you to elicit exactly what you’re experiencing and what you hope for during therapy and beyond. I want my clients to leave sessions feeling empowered to continue to invest in themselves, know they have the ability to move beyond their limits, and that change is possible. I believe this profession was a calling for me based on my personal life experience as a gay man of color. I didn’t always feel confident and safe to express myself, communicate what I needed, feel like there was more to me beyond what other people believed about my identity, and confidently step into my own life outside of my mind and LIVE, however that may look like.

As a provider, I want to support my fellow LGBTQAI+ folks of all races, ethnicities, sexuality and gender identities, and backgrounds. When you consider ways, you can show up for yourself, identify concretely what you aspire for and want to do, and dictate your environment to become your sanctuary, you take small steps towards becoming your most authentic self. I have had the opportunity to work very closely with LGBTQ+ population from youth to adults navigating the challenges of being ones-self and competing with accessing similar privileges as non-identifying LGBTQ+ people including access to safe housing, affirming healthcare, integrating into social circles of family and friends, safety to exist in all spaces they enter, challenging the expectations to be the educator of their identities, and even policing themselves for their own safety and other people’s comfort. I aim to use a strength-based integrative approach utilizing modalities such as aspects of Psychodynamic Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Narrative therapy to individualize sessions, externalize concerns, and help individuals see their circumstances in different ways. Additionally, I aim to incorporate Mindfulness-Based interventions to help individuals to confront and acknowledge their thoughts and emotions in the present moment, accept it exists as a part of them, and know there is a space to process and work on it. Finally, I aim to redefine therapy outside of formal sessions, but considering it as engaging in elements of their lives that brings them joy. I think therapy is personalized, so if I’m showing up as myself there will be sprinkles of humor all throughout our time together.

Outside of being a therapist, I enjoy connecting with music, trying new foods, spending time with my family and friends, being physically active, exploring my artistic element in poetry, seeing plays, and immersing myself in nature. I definitely hope to work on traveling to Europe and other parts of the world and learn to play the piano. As we continue to invest in ourselves and remain uncomfortable, we grow.

Licenses:
New York, LMSW

Education:

Silberman School of Social Work, CUNY Hunter College, MSW