Brandy Harris, Graduate Student Therapist in Kansas City, MO
Empathetic | Warm | Authentic
Brandy Harris is a Graduate Student Therapist who brings warmth, authenticity, and deep compassion into the therapy space. Born and raised in Kansas City, Brandy approaches therapy with the belief that healing begins when people feel seen, accepted, and met exactly where they are. Her work is informed by lived experience, professional advocacy roles, and a genuine curiosity about people’s stories.
Brandy works with individuals who are navigating grief, life transitions, anxiety, depression, identity development, and the lasting impact of early experiences. She is especially passionate about supporting clients who are seeking empowerment, emotional safety, and space to process experiences that have been carried quietly for far too long.
Meet Brandy Harris, Graduate Student Therapist
I see clients in person and online!
Brandy’s Approach to Therapy
Brandy approaches therapy as a collaborative, relational process grounded in empathy, curiosity, and acceptance. She believes that people heal best when they feel safe enough to be honest—and supported enough to explore difficult emotions without judgment.
Her style is warm, conversational, and deeply human. Brandy often describes herself as an “open book” and strives to create a therapy space where clients feel invited to show up fully, without fear of being too much or not enough. She is especially attuned to how grief, trauma, depression, anxiety, and unmet emotional needs can quietly shape a person’s life over time.
Brandy values empowerment, self-reflection, and helping clients reconnect with their inner strength, voice, and sense of possibility.
Areas of Focus
Brandy enjoys working with clients navigating:
Grief and loss (including prolonged and complicated grief)
Anxiety and depression
Life transitions and identity development
Self-esteem and empowerment
Motherhood and postpartum experiences
Family dynamics and relational stress
Clients processing trauma and adverse childhood experiences
Who Brandy Works Best With
Brandy often connects well with:
Adults in their 20s, 30s, and early 40s
Clients navigating grief, emotional overwhelm, or major transitions
Individuals seeking a therapist who is relational, grounded, and emotionally present
Clients who value authenticity, compassion, and cultural awareness
Those who want a therapist willing to sit with hard emotions while holding hope for healing
Modalities & Clinical Interests
As a graduate student therapist, Brandy is actively building her clinical toolkit and is curious about a wide range of therapeutic approaches. Her current and developing interests include:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Narrative Therapy
Psychosocial Development Theory
Strengths-based and empowerment-focused approaches
Brandy values continued learning and believes that effective therapy often draws from multiple frameworks rather than a single rigid model.
Professional Experience & Clinical Foundations
Brandy brings a broad and meaningful range of real-world experience into her clinical work. After completing her undergraduate degree, she worked in case management, where she supported individuals through advocacy, goal-setting, and major life transitions. This role required helping clients navigate systems, court involvement, and personal change—often serving as both guide and emotional support.
She later worked in foster care, supporting children and families during reunification and separation. In this role, Brandy spent extensive time helping children process family disruption and assisting parents through grief, shame, and hope during incredibly vulnerable moments.
Brandy also works as a Behavioral Health Technician, supporting children and adolescents following suicide attempts, overdoses, and acute mental health crises. In this setting, she helps create a therapeutic, stabilizing environment and actively encourages ongoing therapy as a vital part of healing.
Her internship experiences have also included work as an Adult Protection Specialist, investigating neglect, abuse, and financial exploitation among vulnerable adults. Through this role, Brandy supported individuals and families facing dementia diagnoses, end-of-life transitions, and profound grief—experiences that reinforced her belief in the importance of compassionate mental health care.
Brandy’s Story
Brandy’s journey into the counseling field is rooted in both professional experience and personal resilience. Growing up as the youngest—and only girl—among six brothers, Brandy learned early how family dynamics, hardship, and environment can deeply shape emotional development. Raised primarily by her stepmother and father after her parents separated, Brandy witnessed both the challenges and strengths that emerge within complex family systems.
Throughout her early life, Brandy navigated significant adversity, including instability, trauma, and loss. These experiences profoundly shaped her empathy for others and her desire to break cycles of silence around mental health—particularly within communities where emotional struggles are often minimized or unspoken.
After spending several years working in customer-facing and leadership roles, Brandy returned to school to pursue her true passion: helping others heal. She became the first in her immediate family and generation to complete a bachelor’s degree, earning her Bachelor’s in Psychology in 2024. She is currently completing her master’s degree in counseling at Grand Canyon University.
Outside the Therapy Room
Outside of therapy, Brandy is active, adventurous, and creative. She enjoys traveling, hiking, and spending time in nature—especially in mountainous landscapes. A former athlete, she ran track and played volleyball growing up and continues to value movement and physical activity as part of overall well-being.
Brandy is also a writer and poet, using poetry as a personal outlet for healing and self-expression. She is passionate about storytelling in all forms and believes creative expression can be a powerful tool for processing emotion.
She describes herself as a risk-taker and adventurer—someone who embraces courage, growth, and new experiences whenever possible. Brandy is married, has a daughter, and a French Bulldog named Elroy.
Session Fee & Sliding Scale
My standard fee is $75 per session for individuals, couples, and families.
I’m committed to making therapy accessible—and I offer a limited number of sliding scale spots based on financial need.
If the full fee feels out of reach, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the office to inquire about sliding scale eligibility. You deserve support, and we’ll do our best to help make that possible.