Your Partner Is Not A Mind Reader

Loneliness doesn’t always look like being alone. Sometimes it shows up while you’re sitting next to someone you love, feeling unheard, tense, or unsure how to bridge the gap. We talk with Dr. April Brown, founder of Therapist in Sarasota and the “Doctor of Intimacy,” about what it actually takes to feel connected again and why intimacy includes emotional safety, honest words, and a kinder relationship with yourself. 

We dig into what makes her practice different for anyone searching for an affordable therapist in Sarasota: reduced-rate counseling with sessions as low as $45, a convenient downtown Sarasota location near Whole Foods, and virtual therapy when life is busy. Dr. Brown also explains her concierge-style approach, matching real people with real support rather than a one-size-fits-all experience, backed by a team of therapists with different strengths and backgrounds. 

If you’re in a relationship, the middle of this conversation might hit hardest. Dr. Brown breaks down two common relationship myths: that your partner should automatically know what you need, and that your partner should be everything to you. We talk about how to state needs without turning it into criticism, how to listen without getting defensive, and why “air” in a relationship creates room for passion. She also shares her specialty work with serious couples issues like affairs, grief, and trauma, including EMDR trauma therapy and deeper processing approaches. 

Listen, share this with someone who needs it, and leave a review if you want more conversations like this. To nominate a local business to be featured, visit gmpsarasota.com.

Transcript

Welcome To Good Neighbor Podcast

SPEAKER_03 0:00

This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, Virginia McConnell.

SPEAKER_01 0:12

Welcome to the Good Neighbor Podcast Live. Are you in need of a therapist? One might be closer than you think. Today I have the pleasure of introducing your good neighbor, Dr. April Brown, with Therapist in Sarasota. How are you? Oh, I'm doing well. Thank you so much for having me on the podcast. Yeah, yeah. We're so excited to learn about you and your business. Can you tell me more about your company?

Affordable Counseling In Sarasota

SPEAKER_00 0:36

Oh, okay. Yes. So the company's name is Therapist in Sarasota, and we provide counseling services at a reduced rate. So when we try to make it affordable for all people, so we have services for as low as $45 a session, which is just great. We see families, couples, individuals, mental health, anxiety, depression. And we're really we do concierge services. So we're really trying to meet the needs of the people that are in front of us. And so for me personally, I'm Dr. April, and I'm known as the Doctor of Intimacy, which means intimacy in all realms, from of course the physical intimacy, because I'm also a certified sex therapist, but also that emotional intimacy of connecting, that spiritual intimacy, that self-intimacy, and even intimacies of doing activities together, helping your community out. So yes, I'm just excited to be on the podcast.

SPEAKER_01 1:42

Oh, that's amazing. So you you you do quite a bit, but um, yeah, that I love that focus, uh, relationship focus. How did you get into that?

SPEAKER_00 1:55

Oh,

From Accounting To Intimacy Work

SPEAKER_00 1:56

yeah. So I'm actually came from a business background. Uh yes, um, but then spiritually, um, I worked as an accountant um for one of the largest uh pizza stores and handling other things, but spiritually I felt like something was missing. And so um my inner spirit talked to me about going back to school for counseling. I was like, oh no, I don't think so, because kind of a shy person. But I followed it up, and it was the best thing that ever happened to me, and in that process, I really started to focus on um intimacy because in reality, so many of us feel so alone. Do you know what I mean by that? I mean, it's like loneliness is a pandemic here, and so I wanted to feel like how can I help people connect? And of course, first we have to learn how to connect with ourselves, you know, um, and not put ourselves down, you know, because of depression or not be so anxious about the past, the future. And then also, how do we connect with the people around us, our loved ones? And so that's kind of how I fell into that realm of working with couples. I do a lot of couples work and counseling, and I also do couples retreats and stuff, but it's been really rewarding because as a couples therapist, I see my job is helping you guys see each other. That's my job, is to help you guys see each other, and I do that in a variety of different ways.

SPEAKER_01 3:29

So okay. Well,

Two Big Relationship Misconceptions

SPEAKER_01 3:32

what are some myths and misconceptions in your interview?

SPEAKER_00 3:35

Um so one misconception um is that sometimes people think their partner kind of already knows what they're thinking, he should know. Oh my god. Yeah, yeah, my partner should know what I'm thinking, how I'm communicating, what I like in bed, just everything.

SPEAKER_01 3:56

Wishful thinking, I think.

SPEAKER_00 3:58

Wishful thinking, yes, yes, yeah. Yeah, or yeah, and so being able to actually communicate what your needs are instead of saying, you know, you did not do this, this, this, which can sound just like a lot of criticism. I this is what I need, you know. This is this is, you know, um what I'm feeling, what I need, you know, being able to uh state your needs, and then your partner being able to actually hear it and not get defensive about it, you know, but I did this, this, this. Oh, honey, I understand how you feel. How can I help? You know, so that's kind of one of the biggest misconceptions in life is that my partner is supposed to understand me, you know. Second big misconception is that my partner is supposed to be everything to me. My doctor, my best friend, my therapist, my sister, my drug, yeah, yes, yeah, and in reality, uh that's not how it really is supposed to be. They're supposed to support you, and there's things that you guys have in common, but they can't be everything. You know, if you as a couple just come like this and so tight, there is no air. And without air, there's no passion. We need to have other, you know, interests, friends, and stuff to be a supported, you know, environment. So I think that's just another aspect of of that. So yeah.

SPEAKER_01 5:39

Yeah, yeah. A few misconceptions there for sure. Uh,

Who They Help And How

SPEAKER_01 5:44

and we know marketing is the heart of every business. Who's your target clients and how do you attract them?

SPEAKER_00 5:50

So, my target clients overall is um individuals, couples, um, families that need services um in the mental health realm or relationship realm. Um, we're located down in easy part of Sarasota, downtown Sarasota, nearby the Whole Foods, um, in that area, 1487 2nd Street. And so my target is those who need services, but um, sometimes they feel like, oh my gosh, um, we don't accept any insurance, okay? So we provide services for those who cannot afford it or for those people who can afford, um, and they want specialized services. Um, you know what I'm saying? They just don't want to go to a center where there's 20 million therapists and stuff. You get to, um, so besides myself, I have 20 other therapists, um, all different ages, um, different languages, male and female, and all that kind of stuff. So we all have special um gifts and talents and stuff. For me, specialty, my specialty um is working with couples with serious issues, couples who've had affairs or have lost a child, or have had other trauma aspects going on. Um, I'm also EMDR, EMDR trauma certified. I also do psycho drama um in the sense of helping couples pass through, work through their traumas. Sometimes we have to work through it individually, sometimes it can be a group dynamic, it depends, and how to move forward so we can be healthy to make a decision about um the relationship they're in.

SPEAKER_01 7:36

Wow. Have

Bringing Intimacy Back Podcast

SPEAKER_01 7:37

you thought about having your own podcast?

SPEAKER_00 7:39

Yes, yes, yes, I do. I mean, I've done that on my own podcast for years. It's called Bringing Intimacy Back, it's out there. Um, I've been on a break for a while, but it'll be back sometime this year for sure. And you can look at 50 million different episodes about all different types of intimacy. Um uh like it's I'm a sex therapist, so there's 50 million things on that. And intimacy overall, I mean, I think when it comes to intimacy, that main piece is that emotional piece, that that connection you know, that I can feel my feelings are being validated, and I can state my feelings, I can have that safety. Yeah, I think that is the most important aspect of it.

SPEAKER_01 8:26

Yeah. Okay,

Affordable Convenient Concierge Care

SPEAKER_01 8:28

Dr. Brown, please tell our listeners one thing uh they should remember about therapists in Sarasota.

SPEAKER_00 8:36

One thing to remember about therapists in Sarasota is number one that we're affordable. Okay, in a sense um sessions are as low as 45 for individuals, 65 as couples. Number two, we're convenient. We're in downtown Sarasota, but we also do virtual. Um, and in some aspects, we have retreats and stuff where we can actually go to you guys. And number three is that um we provide concierge type services. So the therapist is there for you. We're in private practice, so it's not a big like group thing. We personalize our services to meet the needs of the people that are in front of us, and we're about healing.

SPEAKER_01 9:22

Yeah, that's great.

How To Find The Practice

SPEAKER_01 9:24

Uh, and how can our listeners learn more about therapists in Sarasota?

SPEAKER_00 9:28

You can go to our website, um, my therapists in Sarasota and check that out. If you totally forget that, um, you can just remember Dr. April. Um, yes, and my last name is Brown, just look like the color of my skin. Um, and you can go on to Dr. April Brown and it'll take you there. So, yes.

SPEAKER_02 9:48

Okay, well, Dr. April, I really appreciate you being on the show. We wish you and your business the best moving forward. Okay, thank you so much. Thanks for having me.

SPEAKER_03 10:02

Thank you. Thank you

Nominate A Local Business

SPEAKER_03 10:05

for listening to the Good Neighbor Podcast. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to gmpsarasota.com. That's gmpsarasota.com or call nine four one.