Well, it has been a minute and I think a reintroduction is in order because a lot has changed in the three years since I last posted!
Hi, my name is Bryna Talamantez and I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in Plano, Texas. I specialize in working with kids two and up, teens, and young adults who are navigating grief, anxiety, ADHD, and life transitions. In May of 2021 I took a huge leap and opened my own office, Talamantez Therapy after working in the field for four years at other practices and organizations. I use play therapy for kids 2 to 8-10 years old because it is a developmentally appropriate therapy for kids. A child’s language is play, so toys are their words. The toys in my office are chosen carefully to help them to be able to communicate. For my older kids, teens, and young adults I use a mix of art therapy and talk therapy- truly depending on what the client in front of me is needing or wanting to express or discuss that day. My clients know when they enter my office that anything they see is free game to explore, play with, create with, fidget with, or talk about. Yes- I always do have snacks too. My kids are also very happy to let me know when we need new games or snacks and we pull out my phone and often add what they want to the cart to purchase.
My office is full of color including artwork that many kids have left on the walls over the three years my office has been open. In our space full of color and play, I help kiddos navigate some of the hardest things they will ever have to go through, and we do it together. I have laughed and cried with my kids as well as listening when they are angry and hurt. There are hard days and long days, but there is no other job that I would love as much as the one I get to do day in and day out with these special humans that enter my office. Sometimes my kids share with me that they are hesitant to share their problems because they do not want to be a burden on me and I remind them that it is my job to listen and it is also my job to take care of myself when they leave. How do I take care of myself after long days, you ask? Well- blasting Kesha or Taylor Swift in the car with the open sunroof followed by a yummy dinner often helps.
Aside from my daily hat of sitting with my kids as their therapist, I am passionate about sharing the grief experience with others. Our society does not talk about grief nearly as much as we should when death is something we will all have to experience and navigate in our lifetimes. When a death loss happens, we often find ourselves isolated from others because our circles of people around us have no clue what to say to us or how to help us. We can change that with education. I try to share my experience with others as much as possible as well as what things could be helpful to a person or family who is grieving so our society can be better equipped to help those around us in one of the worst times of their lives. Throughout previous blog posts and in future ones, you will see parts of my story as well as education about how you can help others who are grieving. I also enjoy sharing my story and educating others about grief through speaking engagements. If that is something you are interested in, you can contact me for more information.
My tidbit of information for you today is this. There is no right or wrong way to grieve. There is no timeline to grief. There is no “getting over” your person’s death. Our hope in navigating our grief we integrate it into our lives. We honor and remember our person or people who have meant so much to us who are no longer physically with us as we move forward.
I look forward to more conversations and posting more frequently here again with all of you!!
