Venetia Breene LICSW

As a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker and Lead Psychotherapist at Make Space Counseling & Consulting, 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 conflict, and relational trauma.

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 starting Make Space Counseling, I worked with Nourished Minds as a staff psychotherapist, and worked inpatient at McLean where I worked with clients in acute crises, across a wide range of life stages, diagnoses and identities. I earned my Master of Social Work degree from Boston College in 2020, and graduated as a Fellow at the Boston Psychoanalytic Society and Institute, training in psychoanalytic psychotherapy in 2023. I utilize a relational approach to therapy and integrate elements of IFS, ERP, ACT and DBT into my work, as needed. 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.