Brandon Less, MA

Hello! My name is Brandon Less. I hold a Masters in Clinical Psychology from The Chicago School and am currently working towards my Psy.D. During my three years of graduate training, I've provided services to youth and young adults in community mental health, medical clinic, and outpatient psychiatric settings. While at Rosewatter Chicagoland Counseling, I will be supervised by Dr. Sara Taxman.

I'm training as a generalist, so I have experience serving people holding diverse cultural identities and treating a wide range of mental health issues. I enjoy working with college-aged young adults experiencing mood and anxiety symptoms, self-esteem and identity concerns, as well as difficulties adjusting to trauma and loss. I’ve trained in trauma-informed, multicultural and feminist, psychodynamic/interpersonal, and humanistic-existential models of therapy. I am also passionate about mindfulness and meditation, and have experience incorporating ACT, DBT, and MBCT-based skills into group and individual services.

My therapy style is warm, curious, and relational. I take a humanistic approach by trying to understand all the "parts" that make up who you are. I often think of therapy in musical terms: together, we explore the combinations of rhythm, melody, and lyrics that define your authentic self. I believe we are born with an inherent sense of worth and an instinctive tendency to follow our own tune and tempo. When our needs and traits feel or have felt "out of sync" with caregivers, friends, and society at large, we learn to judge, withhold, or alter parts of ourselves, leading to suffering and disconnection. In session, I focus on the relationship to support person-centered goals. I affirm you as you are, join you in processing experiences, and listen for opportunities to face concerns together in the moment. While following your lead, I am curious about family history, cultural identities, and life-goals, and can offer mindfulness-based strategies to help manage stress. I'll always invite you to give feedback and direct our process. My goal is to create a space that gives you what you need to find more self-compassion, authenticity, meaning, and stability in your life.

To do this work well means showing up as another human being ready to listen. So here are some fun facts about me: I grew up in St. Paul, MN; I now live in Chicago with my wife and two cats; I'm a big Chicago sports fan; I like to do yoga and play tennis to decompress; and my favorite flavor of ice cream is cookies and cream :)