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My name is Brenda Cochran

Welcome and thank you for taking the time to visit.  Here is an overview of my approach to your care. Scroll down to find my experience. 

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I am client centered & integrative: I take into account spiritual, emotional, physical and social factors in your treatment. I work in the present, the future and will address the past if it is appropriate for your circumstance. I am trauma sensitive, I am a survivor of trauma and deeply understand the dynamic that comes with the decision to heal & change. My priority is creating safety and rapport. I listen and we decide together the most appropriate path or approach for your care.

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I am solution driven, straight forward and will not waste your time. I am salutogenic, meaning I believe we all have the innate ability to heal and stay healthy. I focus on good health & wellness and stay away from a disease-based (pathogenic) perspective. We are not a diagnosis rather we have the capacity to heal and be well in the face of adversity.

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I want to be an influence in the way we look at mental health and the process of healing. I also understand the potential for harm, re-traumatization, and resistance to change especially if my client is not able to understand safety spiritually, somatically, and emotionally. I listen and we decide together what the most appropriate path is for healing

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I have a lot to offer and I am excited to work with you, your organization or your community of faith. 

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Connect with me HERE

Education

2015-2017

University Name

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2011-2014

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University Name

This is your Education description. Concisely describe your degree and any other highlights of your studies. Make sure to include relevant skills, accomplishments, and milestones gained. Don’t forget to adjust the timeframe in the subtitle.

My Experience

Clinical

  • Licensed Clinical Social Worker providing behavioral health services since 2002.  My work has been in a variety of settings including private practice specializing in women's issues, spiritual abuse, childhood trauma, relationships, codependency and general Christian counseling

  • Group therapist for female survivors of sexual abuse and childhood trauma.

  • General women's intensive group therapist (sexual abuse trauma, divorce, grief, depression/anxiety)​

  • Intensive Outpatient Group (Substance Use Disorder) therapist - whole person trauma approach

  • Crisis therapist in a psychiatric stabilization hospital (serious mental illness, addiction, detox, crisis stabilization) & Intensive Outpatient treatment services. Provided assessment, diagnosis and psychotherapy treatment throughout all phases of high level behavioral health treatment

  • Provided whole-person behavioral health assessments for church members

  • Provided immediate consultation (crisis and level of care) & ongoing support for pastors and directors in the faith community

Trainings, Certifications & License

EMDRIA/AACC

  • EMDR Trained

  • Emotionally Focused Individual Therapy (EFIT) & EMDR- Treating Emotional Triggers Through an Attachemnt Lens (Sue Johnson)

Unyte Health Solutions

  • Safe & Sound Protocol: Pioneered by Dr. Stephen Porges, the Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) is an evidence-based listening therapy that helps shift the nervous system to be more present and regulated while improving client capacity for connection and receptivity to other therapies.

IFS Institute

  • IFS Circle

NICABM (National Institute for the Clinical Application of Behavioral Medicine)

  • How to Identify & Treat Dissociation (Bessel van der Kolk, MD; Ruth Lanius, MD, PhD; Pat Ogden, PhD; Thema Bryant, PhD; Peter Levine, PhD; Janina Fisher, PhD; Kathy Steele, MN, CS; Bethany Brand, PhD)

  • Neurobiology of Trauma (Ruth Buczynski, PhD with Bessel van der Kolk, MD;Pat Ogden, PhD; Ruth Lanius, MD, PhD; Dan Siegel, MD;Stephen Porges, PhD)

  • Mastering Treatment of Trauma (Bessel van der Kolk, MD   Janina Fisher, PhD   Karlen Lyons-Ruth, PhD   Pat Ogden, PhD   Ruth Lanius, MD, PhD   Margaret Sheridan, PhD   Eboni Webb, PsyD  Usha Tummala-Narra, PhD   Martin Teicher, MD, PhD)

  • Working with Abandonment

  • Masters Series: Treating Trauma (Ruth Buczynski, PhD with Bessel van der Kolk, MD;
    Pat Ogden, PhD; Ruth Lanius, MD, PhD; Dan Siegel, MD;
    Stephen Porges, PhD)

Academy of Therapy Wisdom

  • Treating Unresolved Trauma & Addiction: (Janina Fischer PhD)

Shift Network​

  • 2023 Somatic Psychology Summit

Arizona Trauma Institute

  • Certified Clinical Trauma Specialist (Individual) 

  • Trauma & Inflammation

  • Trauma, Attachment & Eating Disorders

  • Health & Wellness for Trauma

  • Trauma and Addiction

  • Clinical Supervisor training​

200 hour Yoga Alliance Certified Training (in progress)​

LCSW- 11933 (Licensed Clinical Social Worker – State of Arizona)

CLINICAL SUPERVISOR – Approved on Clinical Registry & In good standing with the Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners since 2006

Ordained Minister since 2010 (Pure Heart Church)

AACC (American Association of Christian Counselors)

BCPCC (Board Certified Christian Counselor)

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Leadership &
Supervisory

  • Served as the director of a church counseling center for over 19 years providing oversight and supervision of pastoral, lay and professional counselors,

  • Active Clinical Supervisor since 2006 in good standing with Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners (AZBBHE).

  • Provided oversight of a Trauma-Informed Care & Restorative Therapy program at a local behavioral health agency

  • Established clinical best practice protocols

  • Supervised clinical staff, managed clinical performance improvement strategies, recruit and retain high quality staff.​

  • Provided oversight of an intensive outpatient substance use disorder treatment program specializing in a whole-person trauma focused modality for Arizona Medicaid population (AHCCCS).

Trauma &
Addiction Projects

  • Developed & facilitated group therapy curriculum for women's sexual abuse and trauma groups

  • Developed & facilitated a whole-person Intensive trauma group curriculum​

  • Co-author & teacher of a class "Growing in God's Truth: Spirit~Soul~Body, a whole person approach to undestanding how we are made"

  • Provided trauma-informed trainings for chaplains, pastors, church staff and church leadership.​

  • Completed a 1-year informal subjective research project on the impact of utlizing a whole-person trauma approach to treating chronic & severe addiction, high risk relapse population (nutrition, trauma therapy, resistance-based physical exercise)​​

  • Completed informal subjective qualitative research of adult female trauma survivors using a whole-person approach to treating trauma through nutrition, group process and resistance based training.

Fitness 

  • Personal Trainer - women

  • 200 hour certified yoga Instructor (in progress)

  • Retired national figure competor, highest placing 2nd in the nation age group 45 - 55. 

  • Former long distance runner, completed numerous 5k, 10k and half-marathons

  • Former triathlete completed numerous sprint triathlons including open water ocean events.

Speaking Events 

  • Radiant Redemption LLC retreat speaker "Whole-person healing from your traumatic past" & Educator - "Growing in God's Truth: Spirit~Soul~Body" A whole person approach to healing from a traumatic past"

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  • Keynote speaker for Hope Made Strong - Church mental health summit - "Whole person approach - healing from trauma"

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  • Arizona Governor's Office of Youth Faith and Family: RX Core group (appointed position), Substance Abuse Round Table: "Whole-person addiction treatment", Sexual Assault Round Table: "Whole-person healing from trauma"

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  • Arizona Trauma Informed Faith Coalition (AZTIFC)

    • Building the Resilient Church Conference​

      • Keynote speaker 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022​

  • Podcast Guest: ​

    • Journey On Faith Communities, reslience & Agents of Chagne (AZ ACE's Interfaith) "Whole Person Healing for Clnicans & Churches"​

    • Pure Heart. Church - "Whole person approach to healing"

    • Recovery On Air, "Approaching Addiction Treatment with Trauma-Informed Care."

Community Work

  • Arizona Trauma Informed Faith Coalition (AZTIFC): Worked closely with Pastor Sanghoon Yoo, the founder of the movment

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  • Provided oversight for the AZTIFC West Valley, holding monthly strategic meetings with leaders from churches an dsocial services agencies interested in supporting the movement.

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  • Collaborated with AZTIFC and created Building the Resilient Church conference: Annual city-wide conference at Pure Heart Church, Glendale AZ. Conference brought Arizona churches together to raise awareness about the trauma-informed movement.  Confierence educated churches how to create reslient faith communites and how to respond to issues related to trauma, mental illness & addiction

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  • Collaborated with one of the largest addiction treatment centers in Phoenix . Created & developed curriculum for a trauma-focused intensive outpatient addiction treatment center on the property of a church. Provided clinical oversight of of the center with services inclding whole-oerson trauma focused addition treatment of individuals impacted by addiction.

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