Inspiring Conversations with Brianna Sigg of Curiosity Counseling & Consulting

Today we’d like to introduce you to Brianna Sigg.

Hi Brianna, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
This seems like such a simple question however it feels heavier the more I think about it and if you are uncomfortable or triggered by topics such a suicide or self-harm please be mindful as you read on.

I have always enjoyed listening to people tell their stories. I pride myself on being a good listener and as I look back on my life I think I can pinpoint one of the most impactful moments that lead me to where I am today. I was around twelve or thirteen years old when my best friend approached me before one of our hockey games. She told me she needed to talk to me privately and as she pulled up her sleeve to show me marks of self-harm on her arm, my stomach lurched into my throat. Without much hesitation I told her I was in, I’d do whatever she needed to support her through whatever she was going through. I had never experienced anything like this before and I had no idea what to do or what else to say. I remember feeling a sense of both duty and helplessness as I tried to understand the gravity of this. As I stumbled around trying to support my friend, boundary-less and taking on way too much responsibility for a teenager, I focused on what I did know. Showing up and listening, that’s all I knew how to do at the time. My friend had been battling depression silently for a while and for some reason that day she decided to confide in me; I have been grateful for her decision every day since then. After some time, she agreed to start meeting with a therapist to work through her struggles. I watched in awe over the next few months as she started to return to herself and became more present. Her color came back and her laugh returned. She talked with me every day and I listened intently to assure her that things were getting better until one day she said to me, “I would not have made it through this without your help.” It took me a long time to understand my role in her healing and to recognize that I alone was not responsible for her getting better, we can support those we care about and we can offer resources but her decision to speak up, ask for help and be brave enough to share her vulnerability, is what truly saved her life. Almost 20 years later, my friend still struggles with depression, but due to the professional help she received and the people she has surrounded herself with, she has learned the skills needed to safely cope with her depression. Those years taught me more than I could truly comprehend at the time, but they are a big reason I am who I am today. I learned empathy, patience, compassion and that everyone has a story behind the scenes. If we slow down and listen, we can connect with each other in ways that are profound. Since then, I knew I wanted to work with people. I wanted to continue to look at the world through a wider lens and connect with those who need and want connection the most. Eventually, I started my journey as a social worker which has led me to work as a psychotherapist where I get to learn and build relationships with people every single day. I owe my friend a lot for showing me what it means to be there for someone.

It’s also really important for me to acknowledge my wife in this story. We met in graduate school and I thought I had everything figured out back then. Turns out, marrying another social worker really does a lot for self-growth. She challenges me in a way that feels more supportive than anything I could have imagined. I didn’t know how much I needed that until she came into my life. She has encouraged me to pursue my professional goals and is a big part of me learning healthy boundaries for myself. For a while, I thought it was her that made me feel like I can do anything, but honestly, I think she has made me recognize that it’s me that can make me feel like I can do anything, I just needed a little nudge from her to be able to see that for myself. My love, you have helped me to feel more confident in myself than I ever thought possible and for that, I will forever be grateful. Big shout out to my sweet pup Harvey who is not only my best friend but my biggest source of emotional stability and self-care, especially after a particularly hard therapy session.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I think I have been extremely fortunate in my journey to becoming a therapist, of course, there have been obstacles but I really believe those have made me an even better clinician and person. I talked about how I pride myself on being a good listener, this certainly is a strength of mine but has also come with a large learning curve. I needed to learn boundaries for myself. For a long time, I saw myself as a helper, this was my strength, this was who I was and that was how I brought value to my relationships. I didn’t care how much this impacted me personally, I put others first and that was the only way I knew how. It took a very long time, through undergrad, graduate school and several different personal relationships to learn that I deserve to prioritize myself at times. I am still working on this, to be honest, but it has helped me immensely in my professional life. I can only do so much, and it is not my job to save people. It is my job to create safe spaces for people and to encourage them to find it within themselves to accept resources and make the changes they feel are important to them within their lives.

Another part of this story that I think is important for me to mention is coming to terms with my own identity and how this has shaped the way I would treat others for the rest of my life. Through the natural growing up process, I learned slowly that I may be different than my peers once I started to realize that I dressed a little differently and cared about things like make up and boys a lot less than the “typical teenage girl.” Soon enough I realized that I was in love with my best friend, who also happened to be a girl. Realizing I was gay was a very long and emotional process due to the social stigma that I feared I would face if anyone were to find out. Being brought up Catholic, I was taught through the church at a very early age that same-sex marriage, or any same-sex relationship for that matter, was not something that was accepted. In my opinion, feeling as though you are different from everyone around you may be the loneliest place on earth, and having gone through this for myself makes me better able to understand people who face different forms of oppression. I am grateful for the way my story turned out. I was accepted by the people I cared about most in this world. My heart filled with an enormous amount of joy when my mother, who spent her entire life as a very devout Catholic, came with me to a pride festival celebrating the LGBTQ+ community. She spent all day talking to every person she could with nothing but a smile on her face and I will never forget watching her walk down Hennepin Avenue with her arms in the air shouting “Gay is Okay” at every pride float in the parade. This was a long way from her initial reaction of believing that I would be going to hell for my sin, and pretending that being gay was a phase that I was going through. Unfortunately, a happy ending is not the way it works out for many. If this experience can help me to show compassion to a person so they can feel a little less alone, to help someone see how worthy they are of happiness and safety, not despite their identity but because of it, then I feel that I am doing what I am meant to do. The amount of VIBRANT color that the LGBTQ+ community brings to our world is one of the greatest gifts my own experience has allowed me to embrace. I am grateful every day for it and I wish I could tell my 10th grade self that. Thankfully, she eventually learned.

As you know, we’re big fans of Curiosity Counseling & Consulting. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Over the last few years, I have been working as an independent contractor through LynLake Centers for Wellbeing in Minneapolis. Moving into a private practice setting was a big risk for me, it didn’t come with benefits or the stable salary that my other social work jobs came with and that was terrifying to me. This decision turned out to be one of the best professional moves I have made so far as it has allowed me to grow into myself and lean into my passions. In addition to working through LynLake Centers for Wellbeing, I started my own business (something I would have never in a million years expected for myself) Curiosity Counseling & Consulting. Through both of these organizations, I provide psychotherapy for adolescents, adults and some families. Saying I specialize in something is still weird to me as I feel like I am always going to be learning and growing in these areas however I do prioritize working with individuals who have experienced trauma and who experience a serious and persistent mental illness. I pride myself on being a member, ally and clinician that serves as a safe, welcoming and patient presence for anyone who identifies within the LGBTQ+ community. I work extensively with children, adolescents and adults who are Transgender, Non-Binary and gender expansive, no matter where they are throughout their journey and process. I suppose I can say that I specialize in working with those exploring their identity and how their experiences have impacted the way they move through the world. I work through a trauma-informed lens and have a strong focus on attachment and development. Helping people understand more about themselves can help them to navigate their relationships and the world in a way that makes the most sense to them. Through Curiosity Counseling & Consulting I have been actively providing presentations and trainings to individuals, agencies and conferences relating to LGBTQ+ issues. If you know me, you know I am not one for public speaking, I have significant anxiety and used to sweat profusely when having to answer a question in class. Yes, I was one of those kids that would count how many people were in front of me during popcorn in elementary school so I could practice what I would have to read out loud before my turn. Somehow, these presentations make me feel confident and proud and I have loved doing them. While I identify as a gay woman and am proud of being a part of the LGBTQ+ community, I do not identify as trans or non-binary and need to recognize my own bias and limitations when it comes to teaching about these experiences. There are many things I have never experienced and will never understand about a trans experience and it is important for me to mention that. I am so proud of the work that I do and while the responsibility to educate about these issues should not land on trans/non-binary folks, I hope there continue to be more and more trans/non-binary clinicians and educators taking positions within this field. I hope readers who know someone who identifies as LGBTQ+ recognize that there are resources out there to help you understand and support them and it is your job to make sure you access those resources! I would love to continue to educate people on these issues whether it is in your workplace, school or organization. It is so valuable no matter what setting you work in as trans/non-binary folks are everywhere and how you conduct yourself matters. Challenge yourself to grow and for those of you that are already taking those steps, I hope you continue to use your voice!

In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
Both unfortunately and luckily for me, I think there is going to be consistent growth in the therapy industry over the next 5-10 years. With COVID-19, the MANY social injustices, particularly for BIPOC folks, and the polarized communities we are living in, people are needing support and connection more than ever. It is really hard not to feel hopeless with the state of our world and we are just at the beginning of seeing how the last few years have truly impacted all of us. This has been a collective trauma and there will be ramifications of everything we have seen over the last few years, especially in Minneapolis. Healing hasn’t even begun as there have been limited policy changes and supports implemented to improve the lives of our BIPOC neighbors and friends within our own community. Talking about these experiences and our feelings matters and having a safe support system to explore how this has and continues to impact us and our families is really important. We have to allow ourselves to be curious about our experiences in order for growth and change. It can be hard to look at how we play a role in the things going on but it’s essential. One thing that makes me feel hopeful is the ongoing push for de-stigmatizing mental illness and working towards avoiding going straight to pathologizing everyone’s experiences. We are understanding so much more about the impacts of trauma on our attachment and relationships and this is going to continue to create space for people to be more open to the idea of getting support from professionals. Therapy is awesome, who doesn’t need a space to talk about their own stuff for an hour each week? The more we talk about our mental health and experiences, the more comfortable people get with facing the uncomfortable. That may sound cheesy but it’s legit, and it works!

Pricing:

• Diagnostic Assessment/Intake: $255
• Individual Sessions: $165-180
• Trainings/Presentations: Varies; $180/hr
• Insurance Accepted for psychotherapy
• Sliding Fee Scale Available

Contact Info:

• Website: https://curiositycounseling.org/ | https://therapy-mn.com/

Image Credits:
Britt duMonceaux