Posts by Cornelius Sheehan

Meet Brandy Hall, LMFT, EFT Marriage Therapist in Reno

Beginning therapy is a meaningful step, and finding someone you feel comfortable with matters. Whether you’re seeking support for yourself, your relationship, or your family, Brandy believes therapy should be a place where you can be yourself, feel understood, and know you don’t have to navigate life’s challenges alone.

Brandy Hall is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist providing therapy to adults, couples, families, and parents throughout California and Nevada. She works with clients navigating relationship challenges, trauma, anxiety, depression, ADHD, parenting, grief, and life’s many transitions.

Approach to Therapy

Brandy’s work is grounded in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), an evidence-based, attachment-driven approach that helps individuals, couples, and families strengthen emotional bonds and create lasting change.

She approaches therapy with warmth, curiosity, and compassion. Brandy believes people are best understood within the context of their relationships and life experiences, and that understanding often comes before change. Rather than rushing to solutions, she works alongside clients to make sense of the experiences that have shaped them and the patterns they find themselves returning to. From that understanding, new possibilities begin to emerge.

Her work is also informed by family systems, trauma-informed care, and experiential approaches that honor each person’s story, relationships, culture, and strengths.

Areas of Focus

Brandy works with:

• Individuals
• Couples
• Families
• Parents

She commonly helps clients with:

• Relationship concerns
• Parenting and parent-child relationships
• Family conflict and communication
• Trauma and attachment injuries
• Anxiety and depression
• ADHD
• Grief and loss
• Life transitions
• Military family life
• Multicultural individuals
• Intercultural couples and families

Experience & Training

Brandy has experience providing therapy with individuals, couples, and families, including working with partners and family members participating from different locations. Because she is licensed in both California and Nevada, she is able to continue working with couples and families whose loved ones live across state lines. This can be especially valuable for military families, college students, adult children, co-parents, and families navigating transitions and working between California and Nevada.

Her advanced training includes:

• Emotionally Focused Family Therapy (EFFT)
• Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFCT)
• Emotionally Focused Individual Therapy (EFIT)
• Trauma assessment and treatment
• ADHD assessment and treatment
• Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

Outside the Therapy Office

Outside of work, Brandy enjoys spending time with her family and intentionally slowing down to appreciate the relationships that matter most. Those everyday moments continue to remind her that some of the most meaningful parts of life are found in simply being present with the people we love.

Brandy considers it a privilege to walk alongside individuals, couples, and families during some of life’s most vulnerable seasons. Her hope is that when therapy comes to an end, you’ll leave with a deeper understanding of yourself, stronger and more secure relationships, and the experience of feeling genuinely understood and cared for.

Jamie Beidle, M.A, MFT-I

Jamie is Currently Accepting New Clients

Life can feel overwhelming at times. Whether you’re navigating anxiety, depression, grief, relationship challenges, trauma, postpartum changes, or a major life transition, you don’t have to face it alone. I believe healing begins when we feel truly seen, understood, and emotionally safe. My goal is to provide a compassionate, nonjudgmental space where you can explore your emotions, better understand yourself, and create meaningful, lasting change.

I work with individuals, couples, and families to strengthen relationships, improve communication, and build emotional resilience. Many of my clients come to therapy feeling stuck in painful patterns or disconnected from themselves or the people they love. Together, we’ll slow things down, make sense of what’s happening beneath the surface, and identify the patterns that keep you feeling overwhelmed. Through greater self-awareness and practical tools, my hope is that you’ll leave therapy feeling more confident, connected, and equipped to navigate life’s challenges.

My Therapeutic Approach

My work is rooted in a collaborative, person-centered approach that recognizes each person’s strengths, resilience, and capacity for growth. I primarily utilize Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) and attachment-based interventions to help clients understand the “why” behind their emotions, behaviors, and relationship patterns. I also integrate Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and other evidence-based approaches to meet each client’s unique needs.

Whether we’re exploring relationship conflict, anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, or life transitions, my focus is on helping you gain insight into your emotional experiences, develop healthier coping strategies, and create stronger, more secure relationships with yourself and others.

My Areas of Focus

I enjoy working with adults, couples, and families experiencing:

• Anxiety and depression
• Relationship and communication challenges
• Couples counseling and attachment injuries
• Pregnancy, postpartum depression and anxiety, and adjustment to parenthood
• Trauma and unresolved childhood experiences
• Grief and loss
• Life transitions and identity development
• Self-esteem and emotional regulation
• Stress and burnout
• Medical professionals and healthcare workers

I have a particular passion for supporting women through pregnancy, the postpartum period, and the many emotional transitions that accompany motherhood. I also enjoy helping couples rebuild trust, strengthen communication, and develop deeper emotional connection through evidence-based, attachment-focused therapy.

My Background

Before becoming a therapist, I spent several years working in healthcare as an X-ray and CT Technologist. That experience provided me with a deep appreciation for the connection between physical and emotional health and strengthened my desire to support people during some of life’s most vulnerable moments. I earned my bachelor’s degree in psychology and human development in 2021 and my Master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy in 2024. My background in both healthcare and mental health allows me to approach each client with empathy, curiosity, and a holistic understanding of the many factors that influence emotional well-being.

What You Can Expect

I believe therapy works best when it feels collaborative, genuine, and tailored to your unique story. You don’t need to have everything figured out before your first appointment. Our initial sessions will focus on understanding what brings you to therapy, identifying your goals, and creating a plan that feels both supportive and achievable. Whether you’re working through anxiety, rebuilding your relationship, processing grief, or simply trying to better understand yourself, I will meet you with warmth, compassion, and respect every step of the way.

Clinical Supervision

I currently practice under the clinical supervision of Cornelius Sheehan, LCSW, and collaborate with the team at Individual & Relationship Counseling Associates to ensure clients receive thoughtful, evidence-based care.

Outside the Therapy Office

When I’m not working with clients, I enjoy spending time with family and friends, exploring Northern Nevada’s mountains and trails, staying active, and finding opportunities to connect with my community.

Let’s Connect

Taking the first step toward therapy can feel intimidating, but you don’t have to do it alone. I offer a free 15-minute consultation to answer your questions, learn more about what you’re looking for, and help you determine whether we’re a good fit. I look forward to connecting with you.

Dedicated Support for Children, Teens, and Adults in Northern Nevada

As a compassionate couple, individual, and family therapist in Reno, I provide comprehensive care for children, adolescents, and adults. Deeply rooted in the Northern Nevada community, I grew up in rural Nevada and have called Reno home for the past 20 years. I am dedicated to providing high-quality therapy for individuals and families navigating life’s complex transitions.

I have extensive experience working with a highly diverse client population. In particular, I bring a specialized, foundational background as a forensic social worker, offering expert, non-judgmental support to individuals and families whose lives have been structurally impacted by incarceration or legal involvement.

Therapeutic Approach & Philosophy

I believe that a safe, healing environment begins with an empathic, collaborative relationship. Remaining deeply emotionally present, I adapt my style to the unique individual and relational needs of everyone I sit with. My practice is built on a person-centered, strength-based approach, ensuring you feel fully seen, valued, and empowered as a partner in your own growth.

From a professional perspective, I recognize that meaningful change requires an integrative focus. I look at how motivation, cognition, behavior, and interaction all intersect to shape our lives. Clients appreciate my straightforward, down-to-earth approach combined with an unwavering commitment to utilizing evidence-based modalities.

What to Expect in Sessions with Me

Whether you are navigating individual challenges or working through complex family dynamics, you can expect a transparent, supportive, and active therapeutic process. I work to uncover systemic patterns that may be keeping families stuck, helping communication flow more smoothly between parents, children, and partners.

In our sessions, I focus heavily on identifying existing strengths to build resilience. I offer a steady, grounded presence while introducing practical behavioral skills and insights designed to break stressful cycles, rebuild trust, and foster deeper emotional connection across generations.

Advanced Specializations & Trainings

I earned my Master of Social Work (MSW) from the University of Nevada, Reno. As a Clinical Social Work Intern (CSW-I), my postgraduate care is enhanced by intensive team collaboration and advanced training, including:

• Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT): Advanced Externship for couples and relational dynamics.
• Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT): Specialized skills training, including DBT for Adolescents and Families (DBT-A).
• Reunification Therapy: Supporting families navigating complex transitions and rebuilding vital connections.

Beyond the Therapy Room

When I am not in the office, I am a passionate baseball fan and love cheering on my favorite teams.

Find the Right Connection

Our team at Individual & Relationship Counseling Associates works collaboratively to support the Reno community. While we all have extensive and ongoing training in attachment-based Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) for couples, our clinicians provide specialized focus areas to help you find the right fit:

• Hillary Harris: Find internal safety and peace. Hillary focuses on individual and relationship therapy designed to move you through anxiety and toward a secure sense of self.
• Maddie Huntley: Navigate life transitions with confidence. Maddie offers specialized therapy for young adults facing family conflict or the challenges of early adulthood.
• Karen McKinney: Heal from the past. Karen provides compassionate relationship repair for individuals and couples, with a specialized focus on healing from addiction and trauma.
• Amy Aranda: Find your path back to connection. Amy focuses on helping individuals and couples move past “stuck” patterns to build clarity, balance, and security.
• Gina Bemis: Supporting adults, teens, children, and couples. Gina blends EFT and EMDR to help clients navigate trauma, grief, and family conflict to find lasting balance.
• Cornelius Sheehan: Guidance for deep change. As a veteran clinician, Cornelius provides expert care for complex family dynamics and long-term relationship repair, alongside depth-oriented psychotherapy for individuals.

Learn more about our Therapists in Reno.

If you are reading this, you and your partner have already made a highly strategic choice: you’ve decided to seek out an Emotionally Focused Therapist (EFT) for couples. Whether you are actively searching for specialized couples therapy in Northern Nevada or trying to find the highest standard of relationship care near you, your decision to focus on this specific model is well-founded.  

Because Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) is backed by decades of rigorous clinical research and is widely considered the gold standard for repairing relationship distress, your decision is built on a solid foundation. Unlike traditional approaches that merely offer communication worksheets or act as a referee for weekly arguments, EFT goes straight to the root of connection: rewiring the patterns that dictate emotional safety and attachment security.  

However, recognizing the power of the EFT model is only the first step. For prospective clients, the next challenge is navigating the professional landscape to ensure the therapist you choose actually possesses the depth of training your relationship deserves.  

EFT Training is Rigorous and High-Quality

Because EFT is highly effective, the letters “EFT” appear on many general therapist directories. But it is important to know that there is a vast difference between a generalist clinician who has watched an online presentation and a therapist who has committed to a structured, multi-year developmental path.  

Navigating General Therapist Directories

This gap in training happens because of how massive, self-reported therapist directories work. On those sites, “Emotionally Focused Therapy” is just a checkbox. Because there is no verification system, any well-meaning therapist who attended a brief weekend webinar or simply uses a “warm style” can check that box in good faith. However, they may completely lack the rigorous, advanced training required to actually navigate intense relationship distress.

For couples in crisis, this distinction matters immensely. Therapy is a major investment of your time, money, and vulnerability. If a clinician hasn’t been trained to track and untangle the specific emotional loops that keep couples stuck, partners often leave therapy feeling defeated—mistakenly believing that the EFT model itself doesn’t work.

We highlight these training differences to protect your care and remove the guesswork. When you are looking for specialized relationship support, you deserve to know exactly what stands behind a checkbox. A trained EFT specialist will always be completely transparent about their specific training milestones, giving you total confidence that your relationship is in expert hands.

True fluency in navigating deep-seated, reactive relationship loops requires an investment in focused, specialized training. The benchmark for this training path is governed internationally by the International Centre for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy (ICEEFT).  

When you are reviewing a professional’s qualifications, know that the official ICEEFT sequence involves:

1. The Externship: A foundational, four-day intensive immersion into the core theory and tracking maps of the model.
2. Core Skills Advancement: A multi-month, small-group program requiring clinicians to bring real, masked session recordings into peer groups for intensive intervention review.
3. Supervised Consultation: One-on-one consultation with a Certified Supervisor to sharpen attunement, precision, and safety.

Why Direct Certified Supervision Matters for You

When you choose a professional to help heal your relationship, you shouldn’t have to wonder if they are operating entirely in a vacuum or guessing their way through a complex session.  

Individual & Relationship Counseling Associates functions under a unique structure for the Northern Nevada region. The practice director, Cornelius Sheehan, LCSW, is an ICEEFT Certified Supervisor. This means that the highest tier of credentialing, video review, and case conceptualization established by the international community are a regular part of the practice’s operations.

Whether a provider on staff is a fully licensed clinician or a post-graduate associate accumulating advanced specialization hours, the entire clinical team participates in intensive weekly clinical supervision and consultation under direct, certified guidance. Individual backgrounds and training milestones can be reviewed on the Meet Our Team page.  

Why This Builds Reassurance for Your Care

When you step into an office with any therapist at the practice, you are receiving a highly collaborative form of care:  

• A Team Approach: The therapist isn’t managing the relationship dynamic alone. They are backed by weekly case-planning sessions directed by a certified supervisor.
• Consistent, Focused Care: Because the entire staff works under the exact same attachment-focused umbrella, post-graduate interns and associates provide elite, highly focused interventions that rival many generalist practitioners.
• Treatment that is On Track: Every step of the therapeutic journey is reviewed for clinical precision, ensuring your time and financial investment stay sharply aligned with relationship goals.

Improving Your Search

If you are interviewing providers, you always have the right to ask clear questions about their training. A dedicated specialist will welcome them with total transparency:

1. “Have you completed an official, four-day ICEEFT Externship?”
2. “Do you participate in weekly clinical supervision specific to the EFT model?”
3. “Is your practice guided or supervised directly by a Certified EFT Supervisor?”

By making sure the therapist you choose to work with meets these standards, you remove the guesswork from your care. You ensure that the model you have chosen is delivered with the precision and depth required for lasting safety and connection right here in Northern Nevada.  

If you are ready to see how a structured approach can help break old cycles, you can learn more about how to start therapy in Reno, or reach out to the practice Care Coordinator, Tammy to set up a no-cost consultation call.