Tom Payne-Brewer

Tom earned his BA in Psychology at Eureka College and his MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Bradley University. Tom is an active member of the American Counseling Association, World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), and the Society for Sexual, Affectional, Intersex, and Gender Expansive Identities. Tom has worked for several years with college students, primarily aged 18-30, but has also worked with clients ages 7 through 70 in community mental health. His areas of expertise include working with LGBTQIA+ clients and integrating mindfulness techniques into counseling. Tom has experience helping clients through anxiety, depression, stress management, career exploration and career-related stress, significant life transitions, suicidal ideation, identity exploration, self-harm (NSSI), grief and loss, and navigating relationships. Tom tends to use techniques from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) to help clients. His hope for all clients is to deepen their awareness of their thinking patterns, understanding of difficult emotions, and how these are held in the body as it relates to conceptualizing and achieving their goals. Tom was born and raised in Central Illinois and serves communities he has lived in his entire life. Outside of work, you can find Tom spending time with his husband and pets, connecting with friends, playing video games, or seeing his favorite bands.