Resilience in Motion: How My Journey Through Life's Challenges Shapes My Work as a Psychologist

A Life Built on Resilience and Growth

Before I became a psychologist, I was a gymnast and a cellist. Sports and music taught me discipline, focus, and how to thrive under pressure—but also how to cope with setbacks and losses. I learned early that strength isn’t about never falling; it’s about getting back up, learning, and moving forward.

That mindset has carried me through every chapter of my life, including some of the hardest ones.

From Performance to Purpose

I pursued psychology because I was fascinated by the human capacity to adapt, recover, and find meaning in pain. My early work in academic medicine allowed me to study resilience and provide care in medical and hospital settings, working primarily with veterans and active-duty service members coping with the psychological impact of trauma, illness, and loss.

These years shaped my understanding of courage, endurance, and the complexity of healing after profound life challenges. The individuals I worked with—many navigating invisible wounds—taught me as much about strength and perseverance as I could ever teach them.

Over time, I moved into leadership positions in academic medicine. I loved mentoring clinicians and developing programs that expanded access to evidence-based care for those most in need. But I also found myself missing something essential: the depth of connection that comes from sitting with one person at a time, hearing their story, and helping them find their way through.

When Life Became the Teacher

Then, life tested those lessons in a new way. I was diagnosed with cancer—an experience that changed me profoundly. Illness strips away everything nonessential. It taught me what it really means to sit with fear, uncertainty, and vulnerability. It also deepened my understanding of what it takes to rebuild after life as you knew it is suddenly interrupted.

Surviving cancer didn’t just reaffirm my belief in resilience—it reshaped it. Healing isn’t linear. It’s messy, nonlinear, and full of contradictions: gratitude and grief, fear and hope, strength and fragility.

Facing My Own Mental Health Challenges

Like many who care for others, I’ve also faced my own struggles with anxiety, depression, perfectionism, and burnout—especially during demanding seasons of my schooling and career in academic medicine and during recovery from illness. Those experiences gave me a deeper empathy for the people I work with.

I know what it’s like to feel overwhelmed, depleted, or uncertain about what comes next. And I know that with compassion, structure, and the right kind of support, healing and growth are possible—even when life feels unrecognizable.

These experiences reminded me that vulnerability isn’t a weakness; it’s a gateway to connection, humility, and authentic healing.

Returning to What Matters

After my recovery, I jumped right back into work and took on a leadership position. I eventually made a difficult decision to step away from leadership in academic medicine and return to direct clinical work. I wanted to devote my time and energy to what drew me to psychology in the first place: helping individuals navigate loss, trauma, and transformation with authenticity and compassion.

That decision came from the same place that guided me as an athlete and musician—the drive to live with purpose, integrity, and meaning.

How My Journey Shapes My Work as a Therapist

My clients often tell me they feel understood in ways they haven’t before. I believe that’s because I bring both professional expertise and lived experience to my work. My background in academic medicine and my years treating veterans and service members taught me about perseverance, courage, and the human ability to adapt under extraordinary circumstances. My lived experiences—athletics, illness, mental health challenges, and renewal—taught me empathy, humility, and the importance of balance.

Here’s what that means in my work:

• I value persistence and self-compassion. Like training for a sport or learning an instrument or recovering from illness, emotional healing takes consistency, effort, patience, and the willingness to start again.

• I understand both the science and the humanity of suffering. My background in academic medicine keeps my approach grounded in research and evidence-based treatment, while my life experience keeps it real and deeply human.

• I believe in rebuilding meaning. Whether you’re coping with trauma, loss, illness, or major change, therapy can help you rediscover a sense of purpose and connection.

A Space for Growth and Healing

At Brenner Psychological Associates, I offer telehealth therapy for adults in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Vermont. My practice specializes in trauma, stress, grief and loss, and adjustment to life changes such as medical conditions.

I know firsthand that life rarely goes according to plan—but with the right support, it’s possible to grow in ways you never expected. Therapy can be that space to begin again. Reach out today to schedule a free consultation to learn more about how therapy can help you on your journey.