Venetia Breene LICSW

As a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker and Staff Psychotherapist at Nourished Minds: Counseling + Wellness, I specialize in working with adolescents and adults who are struggling with anxiety, OCD and/or eating disorders. I particularly enjoy supporting young people as they grapple through the transition to adulthood and the related issues that arise including identity, relationship and conflict navigation.

I believe that my clients are experts in their own experiences, and I feel privileged to be allowed into their lives. I strive to create a warm, safe and non-judgmental space for my clients, in which I bring curiosity and compassion to every session. I empower my clients to identify their own goals and collaborate with them to help develop individualized action-oriented treatment plans to improve the quality of their lives. I identify as an ally to the BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and disability communities and value working across the spectrums of gender, race, sexuality, and class.

Prior to joining Nourished Minds, I earned a Master of Social Work from Boston College and have spent the last several years working on inpatient and partial programs at McLean Hospital, where I worked with clients in acute crises, across a wide range of life stages, diagnoses and identities. I graduated as a Fellow at the Boston Psychoanalytic Society and Institute, training in psychoanalytic psychotherapy in 2023. I utilize ERP, ACT and CBT to treat the majority of my clients, but am also certified in DBT (Dialectical Behavioral Therapy) and integrate elements of IFS into my work. I am also a member of the National Association of Social Workers, where I engage in ongoing professional development.

My clinical experiences have been enriched by living and working in several different countries. Prior to focusing on psychotherapy, I helped develop social impact small businesses in Kigali, Rwanda, and was involved in starting a non-profit organization in Nairobi, Kenya, funding female education.