Brenda Sanders

Compassionate, practical therapy for life’s challenges

LMSW Michigan

Experience: 6 years in practice
Focus areas: Stress, Anxiety, Addictions, Trauma and abuse
Approaches: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Attachment-Based Therapy
Languages: English

About Brenda

Brenda Sanders is an LMSW who aims to help people manage stressors like anxiety, grief, addiction, trauma, and life transitions. She focuses on practical progress while maintaining empathy and respect for each person’s experience.

Background and approach

With six years of clinical experience, Brenda brings a problem-solving orientation that seeks to restore balance and improve daily functioning. Her background includes a Master of Social Work from Wayne State University and previous study in family and community services.

Brenda has worked across settings such as adult and children outpatient mental health programs, substance abuse treatment, programs for returning citizens, and services for homeless adults. That range supports her work with concerns including mood disorders, ADHD, relationship and family challenges, parenting issues, and compassion fatigue.

Brenda integrates evidence-informed methods such as cognitive behavioral approaches, attachment-focused work, client-centered techniques, and skills-based strategies drawn from DBT and EFT training. She combines those methods with experience in trauma-informed care and gerontology to address both immediate symptoms and underlying patterns.

Brenda practices in Michigan and offers sessions in English.

Therapeutic approaches and online access

Brenda uses cognitive behavioral strategies to help clients identify unhelpful thought patterns and develop concrete skills for reducing symptoms and changing behaviors. She also employs attachment-based work to explore how early relational experiences shape current relationship patterns and emotional responses, which can be useful for relationship, intimacy, and attachment concerns. Finally, her client-centered approach emphasizes empathy and collaboration, allowing clients to set the pace and focus of sessions while the therapist provides support and reflection.

Choosing the right approach is part of the therapeutic collaboration. Brenda aims to learn about a client's goals, preferences, and current challenges and then recommend or combine methods that fit those needs. Clients and therapist work together to adjust strategies over time so treatment stays relevant and practical.

Online sessions are offered through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to provide flexibility for different schedules and communication styles. These formats make it easier to maintain continuity of care when life circumstances change and allow clients to access therapy from locations within Michigan where she practices.

Frequently asked questions

What kinds of problems does Brenda support?

She works with a wide range of concerns including stress, anxiety, addictions, trauma and abuse, grief, depression, relationship and family issues, intimacy-related concerns, eating and sleeping difficulties, parenting challenges, anger, self-esteem, career changes, bipolar disorder, and ADHD.

How would you describe her therapeutic style?

Her style blends empathy with practical skills building, drawing on client-centered principles and structured methods to help clients learn coping strategies and examine patterns that maintain distress.

What is her clinical background?

She has six years of experience working in diverse treatment settings including outpatient mental health, substance abuse programs, services for returning citizens, adult homeless programs, and agencies serving autistic children.

What credentials and location are listed for Brenda?

She holds the LMSW credential with the Michigan license number MI LMSW 6801106592 and practices in Michigan.

Does she work with non-English speakers or international clients?

Sessions are provided in English, and she is not currently accepting international clients.

What session formats are available?

Clients can work with her via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging according to availability.

How are costs and subscriptions handled?

Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions are provided through a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.

What steps should someone take to begin therapy?

To start, select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule sessions according to the therapist's availability.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Stress, Anxiety Addictions Trauma and abuse Grief Depression

Also works with

Relationship issuesFamily conflictsIntimacy-related issuesEating disordersSleeping disordersParenting issuesAnger managementSelf esteemCareer difficultiesBipolar disorderCoping with life changesCoachingCompassion fatigue ADHD

Additional focus areas

AbandonmentAging and geriatric issuesAntisocial personalityAttachment issuesCaregiver issues and stressCommitment issuesCommunication problemsCoping with natural or human-caused disaster

Therapeutic approaches

Attachment-Based TherapyClient-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)Mindfulness TherapyMotivational InterviewingNarrative TherapyPsychodynamic TherapyTrauma-Focused Therapy

Experience

6+ years

Licensed

Michigan

Languages

English