Mx. Brighton Brooks, M.Ed. R-DMT, LPC

Hello! I’m Brighton (they/them) and I enjoy doing things backwards. As dancer, I started with niche art forms like Kalbeliya and Butoh then later took ballet and yoga. As a counselor, I become a registered dance/movement therapist well before finishing my LPC requirements. I find intrigue in the unusual, fascination with the abstract, and joy in celebrating all of life’s strange mysteries.

Why dance/movement therapy? I have experienced radical healing through the power of art and dance. Befriending my body helped me tolerate discomfort and stop second-guessing my thoughts and actions. Studying group processes, in particular, helped me develop trust in the context of relationships and healing in community in a way nothing else has before.

My Experience

The bulk of my professional experience is sitting alongside queer, transgender, and neurodivergent teens and adults, dancers and artists, as well as with survivors of power-based violence and trauma. I view human behavior as adaptive responses to broken systems, not broken people. I specialize in working with anxiety, depression, dissociation, and gender dysphoria from a neurobiological perspective to facilitate discovery and practice of embodied self-care skills.

I enjoy working with teens and young adults, in particular, on relationships and belongingness. There are so many tools for disconnecting from the world now. How do we engage in relationships in ways that feel authentic and supported? Thankfully there are many tools for exploring connection— to yourself and to others.

I earned my Psychology BA (2005) and Masters of Education in Counseling (2009) from UAF while studying international dance styles from around the world as well as modern group improv. Most recently, my studies with Embodied Neurobiology (2019-2024) helped me merge and deepen my understanding of how important movement is to our overall well-being. Soon after completing my requirements to become a Registered Dance/Movement Therapist through the American Dance Therapy Association in 2024 I also finished my 3,000 hours of required supervision to be licensed by the state of Alaska as a Licensed Professional Counselor.

This journey has nourished my felt-sense of trauma responsive practices, embodied social justice, and the power of curiosity and hope. Choice, dignity, connection, humor, and compassion are key components in my work as a therapist, coach, and workshop guide.

Chat with me

I welcome and encourage questions! To find out if we’re a good fit or decide which service is right for you, please contact me for a free 20 minute discovery call.