About
At Patch Counseling…
We are here to guide and support you through the process of change.
The core concepts we value are: compassion, collaboration and creativity.
We aim to provide a compassionate and non-judgmental place for you to explore the changes you would like to make by meeting you where you are along your life’s path.
We will collaborate with you in identifying several ways to achieve the outcome you desire, and I am always open to feedback because it is YOUR therapy experience after all.
Therapy isn’t one size fits most. At Patch Counseling, we are creative problem solvers. We use creativity to structure therapy for you, while remaining flexible if we need to make adjustments along the way to ensure your success.
About Allison
Allison started her journey giving back as a community arts teacher in San Francisco. With her background in art education she would teach classes, as well as community art camps. She spent a summer in El Salvador with a group of art educators helping a community by creating new center for members to gather. While in El Salvador, she saw the healing power of the arts and for the first time heard about art therapy. This experience is what led Allison to grad school to become a therapist. She graduated from Loyola Marymount University with an MA in Marital and Family Therapy with a Specialization in Art Therapy. Since obtaining her degree, she’s continued to give back by providing therapy in Mexico, working with at-risk youth in Los Angeles and with chronic mental illness in San Diego. Allison has continued to value education and in the past has served on the board for the San Diego’s Chapter of Marriage and Family Therapists as the Education Chair.
Allison’s approach to therapy is compassionate. Allison is a human and understands pain too…she just happens to have training and experience in helping others gain understanding of their suffering and in providing tools to cope. Allison works collaboratively with her clients, so they can take ownership of their emotions, relationships and experiences. She empowers them to make choices that are in line with their values, so they can live the life they desire. As an art therapist, she is innately creative and has the ability to integrate visual art mediums to enrich the therapeutic process. To learn more about art therapy click here. Allison is also trained to use yoga and mindfulness practices to stop the dwelling and “future trippin”.
About Brittany
Brittany always knew she wanted to work in a setting where she supported others in achieving their personal goals, building more meaningful connections with others, and gaining a deeper understanding of themselves. After graduating with her undergraduate degree, Brittany pursued a year-long volunteer role providing case management services to families experiencing homelessness. This role naturally transitioned into similar positions where she worked with women, families, and survivors of domestic violence. Having always been called to the study and creation of art, Brittany left her career to pursue her passion in art, leading to positions in museum education, public art, and arts administration. It was during this time that she witnessed the power of art to heal, and sought to find a bridge between art and therapeutic treatment.
It was also during this time that Brittany first learned about art therapy and chose to return to grad school, receiving her master’s degree from Loyola Marymount University in Marital and Family Therapy with Specialized Training in Art Therapy. Since then, she has worked with children, adolescents, adults, families and groups at clinical placements in Los Angeles and San Diego. Some of her favorite placements have included working with incarcerated adolescents, at-risk youth, and individuals experiencing isolation during the pandemic.
Brittany believes art has the power to transcend spoken language, providing deeper opportunities for communication, self-expression, healing, and transformation. She trusts that clients are the experts on themselves, but sometimes need help breaking down barriers blocking them from fully seeing and knowing themselves. Her favorite sessions are the ones in which she feels she is able to collaborate with a client to help them uncover a new insight about themselves, either through the process of creating art or through compassionate conversation. With specialized training in Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Brittany enjoys finding creative new ways of incorporating art into the multiple phases of EMDR.
Meet the team!
Owner + Therapist
Allison Patch, LMFT + ATR
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist #95402
Registered Art Therapist
Associate Therapist
Brittany Benjamin Amante, AMFT
Associate Marriage and Family Therapist #126673
Under the supervision of Allison Patch, LMFT95402
Have questions about therapy or working together?
Patch Counseling offers a complimentary 20-minute phone consult to answer any questions you may have about therapy and to see if we are a good fit! Schedule today.