Hi there! My name is Brittney Mendiola and I’m a licensed professional counselor in Pittsburgh, PA. I specialize in the treatment of young children, particularly those with behavioral issues and/or trauma. I also do a lot of work with adolescents, adults, couples, and families struggling with anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship issues, and more.

Like all of us, life and how I approach it shifted when the pandemic occurred. One positive takeaway for me has been being able to witness and be a part of life-changing therapy in a way I hadn’t yet experienced. Telehealth, or therapy through the use of an smart phone, tablet, or computer, has opened my eyes to the ways in which technology can serve our therapy needs from the comfort of our homes. We can meet during work lunch breaks or children’s naps, after conference calls and without the headache of rush hour or even just rushing to and fro like I think most of us were accustom to doing. I think you, like me, will be pleasantly surprised by how quickly we’ll get to know one another this way and how great the impact can be.

A few things you might want to know about me:

1. What type of therapy do I do?

Well, that depends (somewhat) on the age of the client I’m working with.

Working with little ones for me also means working with their grown ups. I hope to become a special person in your child’s life while we build rapport and work together. However, I’m a temporary person. Your child is fortunate to have you and will benefit from having you as a part of their treatment for when they might need support in the future, post-treatment.

If you find yourself repeating yourself 100 times a day, are struggling with tantrums out the wazoo, and are getting frequent notes home from the teacher, Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) might be the right treatment for you and your child. Learn more about PCIT under Services and feel free to reach out to me with any questions you might have.

Trauma looks different for different people. Medical trauma, abuse, community violence, death of a loved one, a Pandemic (check this one off for most of us at this point) all can affect us as adults and definitely our children in great ways. Child Parent Psychotherapy (CPP) is a form of play therapy that involves working with children, their caregivers, and the therapist to work through individual or shared trauma through the use of play. Find more information about CPP under the Services tab and, again, be sure to reach out to me with any questions.

With my old(er) clients, I utilize a person-centered therapeutic approach. What that means is that I recognize that you are essentially the world’s leading expert on…you! So I listen and walk alongside of you. My goal is not to “fix” you, but, instead, to help you to figure out what it is you need to “fix” yourself and/or the relationships or situations you’re in.

I am not a smile and nod therapist. Clients have described me as interactive, genuine, authentic, and real. If you choose to work with me, I will ask you to bring your all. You will be asked to dig deep. I will guide you to sit with your emotions (versus running from them). We will laugh together. Sometimes, we might even cry together. It won’t always be easy, but I promise that it will ultimately be rewarding.

2. Do you know what you’re doing?

Here’s a little about my training: I completed my undergraduate degree in Psychology from Duquesne University. While completing my masters degree in Professional Counseling from Carlow University, I worked inpatient, in homes, and in schools with adults, adolescents, and children.

After graduation, I continued working with young children and their families at an early childhood trauma treatment center in Pittsburgh, PA. There, I was fortunate to receive training from the University of Maryland in Child Parent Psychotherapy (CPP) and both in house and at the Children’s Hospital of Cincinnati in Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT).

I’ve spent the past few years working in private practice, continuing my work with young children and their families, but also really enjoying expanding my work to include adolescents, adults, and couples.

3. Why do I do this work?

Totally sounds cheesy, but it’s so true. It’s truly an honor to be witness to the change that can occur through therapy. Individuals, couples, and families who enter my office (formerly in person and now through telehealth!) can grow, change, bond, heal, and I (me!) am the fortunate person who gets a front row seat to this change.

We will work as a team to get you (and your partner or child) where you want or dream to be.

“Joy is a decision, a really brave one, about how you are going to respond to life.” -Wess Stafford

You & me, we’ll get brave together.