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Therapy That Goes at Your PaceWarm, open, and empathic support in an atmosphere of non-judgement, trust, and transparency.

I’m Brianna Palacios, and I’m so glad you’re here. I would describe myself as very warm, open, and empathic, listening to my clients wholeheartedly and with undivided attention. My goal with each of my clients is to create an atmosphere of non-judgement, trust, and transparency in our work together.

I know that beginning with a new therapist can feel uncertain and overwhelming. I take rapport building as a matter of utmost importance and will never push you to address something you do not wish to. We will always go at your pace, and will spend as much time as needed establishing a secure foundation for our work together before moving into more challenging topics.

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Brianna Palacios, therapist and founder of Quetzal Therapy

Meet Brianna

Brianna Palacios

Therapist

I approach my work from a place of sincerity and compassion. My belief is that the vast majority of individuals are doing the best they can given what they know at the time, and based on how their experiences have shaped them. This belief creates an open environment where we can look at what isn’t working from a place of curiosity rather than criticism, and provides an opportunity for positive growth through new perspectives.

I focus on using evidenced based approaches that are designed to bring about real and lasting change, and these approaches will be uniquely tailored to you and your goals. We will continually reflect back on our work to ensure we are moving in the right direction.

I highly value and respect my clients' culture, faith and religious backgrounds and actively look for ways to use this in a positive and strengths-based fashion throughout our work together. I am eager to learn about what you value most, and how you would like to thrive in life.

I prioritize honesty and transparency with my clients and will never make promises or set an expectation I cannot keep.

I work with children, adolescents, adults, and families — with a focus on anxiety, social phobia, OCD, grief and loss, relationships, family dynamics, and mood and behavior concerns. When working with children or adolescents, I view the parents as an integral part of the therapy process, and prioritize creating equally positive, open and trusting relationships with the parents of my younger clients.

Credentials

  • Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) — Illinois, License #180.011478
  • Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) — Florida, License #TPMC5547
  • Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) — Tennessee, License #8087
  • Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) — South Carolina, License #12559
  • Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health from Wheaton College

Approaches I Use

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Attachment-Based Therapy, and Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP).

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps you develop a healthier relationship with difficult thoughts and emotions while building a life guided by what matters most to you. The goal isn't to eliminate anxiety, sadness, or fear — it's learning that you can experience those emotions without letting them control your choices.

  • Making room for difficult thoughts and feelings, instead of fighting them
  • Getting clear on your values — the direction you want your life to go
  • Cognitive defusion: recognizing thoughts as thoughts, not facts
  • Committed, meaningful action even when you don't feel ready

Attachment-Based Therapy

Attachment-Based Therapy

Our earliest relationships shape how we understand ourselves, other people, and connection itself. Attachment-based therapy explores those patterns with compassion and curiosity — why certain relationships feel especially difficult, why trust can be hard, and how to develop healthier, more secure ways of connecting with yourself and others.

  • Understanding where your relationship patterns come from
  • Building greater emotional awareness of what's underneath a reaction
  • Practicing communication and boundaries that feel safer
  • Developing what's often called "earned security" in relationships

Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)

Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)

Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) is a specialized, evidence-based form of CBT that helps you change your relationship with anxiety, intrusive thoughts, and compulsive behaviors — most established for OCD, and adaptable to a range of anxiety-related concerns. Exposures are carefully planned and adjusted to your needs, so we work at a pace that's challenging but manageable.

  • Gradual, individually-planned exposure to what triggers anxiety
  • Response prevention: learning to sit with discomfort instead of the compulsion
  • Well-established for OCD, and adaptable to phobias, panic, and social anxiety
  • In addition to virtual sessions, In-person ERP Intensives are available near Bluffton, SC beginning Nov. 2026

How We'll Work Together

At your pace, with what you value at the center

I highly value and respect my clients' culture, faith and religious backgrounds, and their own traditions. I actively look for ways to use this in a positive and strengths-based way throughout our work together, and I am eager to learn about what you value most.

Mental Health Support

What Guides My Work

Warm, Open, and Empathic

An atmosphere of non-judgement, trust, and transparency in our work together.

Undivided Attention

I listen wholeheartedly, and you have my full and undivided attention in our sessions.

Rapport First

Rapport building is of utmost importance to me, and comes before anything else.

Your Pace

I will never push you to address something you do not wish to.

Culture, Faith, and Tradition

Respected, and actively drawn on in a positive and strengths-based way.

Honesty and Transparency

I will never make promises or set an expectation I cannot keep.

I prioritize honesty and transparency with my clients and will never make promises or set an expectation I cannot keep.

I listen wholeheartedly, and you have my full and undivided attention in our sessions.

About Brianna
Morning light through a misty forest

Ready to Take a First Step?

Send a message with a little about what's going on and I'll be in touch. We'll go at your pace.

Get in Touch

Send a message using the form and I'll be in touch. Sessions are held virtually.

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Zencare Vetted Therapist