About
Natalie Brooks, MA, LMFT
Hi!
I am a licensed psychotherapist, certified by the Anna Freud Centre London in Mentalization-based Therapy (MBT) as both a clinician and clinical supervisor. I serve on faculty of the Mentalizing Initiative, a non-profit organization dedicated to training mental health professionals in mentalizing and resiliency-based therapies. I earned my undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Southern California and am currently working towards a PhD in Depth Psychology.
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I would not be the therapist or the person I am today without the mentorship of Professors Anthony Bateman and Peter Fonagy whose pioneering work in mentalization-based treatment (MBT) taught me how to restore epistemic trust, deepen reflective capacity, and hold compassionate curiosity in the therapeutic relationship. They continue to inspire and provide their expertise and clinical consultation to this day.
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I am also indebted to my mentor and colleague, Dr. Robin Kissell, who provided me with an opportunity to train in MBT in 2009, all those years ago at UCLA. Her teaching and years of consultation taught me how to be a better therapist with clients experiencing immense suffering.
My Story
​My mission is to give back and empower therapists and mental health practitioners to help more people by building clinically effective and thriving practices while avoiding burnout, particularly in navigating challenging clients.
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Shaped by the guidance of mentors who profoundly influenced both my personal evolution and professional identity, my approach is rooted in my own lived experience of working with some of the most challenging personality and eating disorder patients in both inpatient, outpatient, and private practice settings.​​​​
