❊ Meet Our Clinical Therapist ❊
Elizabeth “Liz” Brunello, LGSW
Get to know Liz
Liz works with kids, tweens, teens, and young adults, creating a space where young people can feel valued, heard, believed, and understood. She has spent much of her career working with high school-aged teens but loves connecting with young people across different ages and stages—including those navigating the transition into adulthood.
Liz believes there is no “wrong” way to feel. Her approach is warm, relational, trauma-informed, and centered around each individual client. Rather than expecting a young person to fit into a particular kind of therapy, she believes therapy should meet them where they are.
In Liz’s room, big emotions are welcome. Anger, sadness, shame, worry, and uncertainty can be explored without judgment. Depending on the person and what they need, therapy might include talking, playing, creating art, practicing mindfulness, exploring how experiences show up in the body, or finding entirely new ways to understand thoughts and feelings. Liz also firmly believes that therapy can—and should—make room for creativity, connection, and joy.
At the heart of her work is the belief that every young person deserves to understand and appreciate who they are. Liz is especially passionate about creating an affirming space for LGBTQIA+ youth and helping neurodivergent kids and teens better understand their uniquely wired brains, recognize their strengths, and let go of messages that have made them feel like they need to be someone different.
She also values partnering with parents and caregivers so they feel seen, supported, and included as everyone works together to help their child thrive.
Experience & Approach
Liz describes her approach as relational, client-centered, trauma-informed, strengths-based, and eclectic—meaning she draws from different therapeutic approaches based on the individual needs of each client.
She is working toward specialized training in Play Therapy, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), and Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT). Her work also incorporates expressive arts, parts work, mindfulness, and somatic approaches that can help young people better understand and regulate their nervous systems.
Liz approaches therapy through a lens of inclusion, equity, and respect for each family's lived experience. Her work is identity-affirming and culturally responsive, with an awareness of the ways stigma, discrimination, economic insecurity, and other life experiences can affect a young person's emotional well-being.
She is also excited to offer both individual and group therapy for kids and teens at Sandbox.
Liz Especially Enjoys Helping With
Grief
Trauma
Anxiety
Big Emotions
Life & Family Changes
Self-Esteem
LGBTQIA+ Identities
ADHD
Autism
OCD
Neurodivergence
Outside the Therapy Room
🐾 Sylvester is usually along for the adventure.
After a walk in the woods, there’s a pretty good chance Liz’s dog, Sylvester, is getting a pup cup.
🌊 Give her a lake and she’s happy.
Liz loves swimming, kayaking, and spending time outside.
📚 There’s usually a book nearby.
Reading is one of her favorite ways to spend her downtime.
🎨 She likes making things.
You might find her working on a craft or art project when inspiration strikes.
🎬 She appreciates a cozy day, too.
Not every adventure requires leaving the house—a cozy movie day is always a good option.
What Samantha Wants Families to Know
Starting therapy can feel overwhelming or even a little scary—and Liz understands what it’s like to sit on the other side of that experience, too.
You don’t have to walk into therapy ready to share everything, know exactly what you need, or immediately feel comfortable. Liz believes trust takes time. You’ll have the space you need to get comfortable, build a relationship, and move forward at your own pace.
Her role isn’t to tell you who you should be. It’s to walk alongside you as you discover your own path toward healing, growth, and feeling more at home with who you already are.
