Hello there! My name is Brittany Cross and I am a masters level counseling student at the University of Houston completing my internship at OCD & Anxiety Treatment of Houston (OATH Therapy) under the supervision of Saharah Shrout, MA, LPC-S. I earned my bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a minor in Studio Art from the University of Houston. I completed my practicum at GDI Enterprises, and it was here that I gained experience working with children in the foster care system (ages 4-14) to improve their executive functioning, emotion-regulation, and distress tolerance skills. At this site, I worked with a variety of diagnoses, including post-traumatic stress disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and oppositional defiant disorder.
Prior to joining OATH Therapy, I spent the past three and a half years in multiple positions at the McLean OCD Institute at Houston. Most recently, I worked as the admissions coordinator for the residential support and partial hospitalization programs, and I also aided in the development of the adolescent intensive outpatient program. Formerly, I worked as a residential counselor where I was able to support adults and adolescents struggling with moderate-severe OCD, anxiety disorders, and/or depression by utilizing evidence-based treatments and teaching coping strategies.
I am especially passionate about working with children (ages 4+), adolescents, and young adults to help them in their journey to living a meaningful and values-based life. When working with younger clients, I believe it is important to have the child’s family involved as much as possible so that the child is supported at home. I know firsthand, through my own experiences, that treatment at all ages requires courage and hard work, and seeing the changes my clients make in their lives is what inspires me to continue the work that I do. I strive to create a safe, supportive, and relaxed atmosphere for my clients. You can expect kindness, empathy, authenticity, and humor in my style of therapy, while also compassionately holding you accountable to reach your goals in treatment. My training and current therapeutic practice includes the utilization of evidence-based treatment techniques, including Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). My specialties include: obsessive-compulsive disorder (all subtypes), anxiety disorders (panic disorder, specific phobias, social anxiety, separation anxiety, agoraphobia, generalized anxiety disorder, illness/health anxiety), perfectionism, depression, and general life stress.
When I’m not at work or school, I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, as well as my two cats, Sebastian and Tigger. I am an avid runner, coffee drinker, and photographer, and I am also a lover of nature, a music enthusiast, and a painter. My love for art as a form of expression flows into the work I do, especially with my younger clients, as a way for them to connect, concentrate, and communicate.
