Meet Renee Braune

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Renee Braune. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Renee below.

Renee , we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.

My purpose was not something I simply discovered one day. It was something I had to fight for, through pain that nearly destroyed me.

I experienced childhood sexual abuse, something that took away my sense of safety and trust before I even understood what those words meant. I carried that pain in silence for years, trying to make sense of a world that didn’t feel safe. Later in life, I found myself in a marriage filled with domestic violence. I endured fear, manipulation, and moments where I questioned my worth and my ability to keep going. The hardest part came when I learned that the man I had once trusted had harmed my children and was engaging in unthinkable behavior online. This was a time in my life that almost shattered me completely.

There were times I felt numb, broken, and lost. I questioned everything about who I was and how I could ever move forward. Healing has been an ongoing journey. It took every ounce of strength I had to face my pain instead of running from it. But slowly, I began to realize that the same pain that had once silenced me could also become my voice.

I decided to take my brokenness and turn it into something meaningful. I went back to school and earned my master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Every class, every late night, and every tear was a step toward reclaiming myself and building something bigger than my story.

I did all of this as a single mother of three small children. There were nights I studied while they slept beside me and mornings when I woke up exhausted but determined to keep going. I had to be both mother and provider, protector and student, nurturer and warrior. My children became my motivation to heal, to grow, and to build a future that showed them strength can rise from the deepest pain. They are my greatest reason for never giving up.

Today, I am a licensed mental health therapist who helps women who have lived through abuse and trauma find themselves again. I help them rebuild their confidence, their peace, and their power. I have also built a practice rooted in an integrative approach to mental health. Because healing is not just about talking through pain; it is about caring for the whole person; mind, body, and spirit.

My journey has been one of survival and strength, of finding purpose in the pain that once broke me. My mission is to help others see that healing is possible, that they are not defined by what happened to them, and that even in the darkest moments, there is always a path toward light.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

After surviving years of trauma and rebuilding my life as a single mother of three, I knew I wanted to create something meaningful from everything I had been through. When my marriage ended, I was not just starting over; I was starting from a place of pain, responsibility, and determination. I was the sole provider for my children, and I wanted to build a life that reflected strength, healing, and hope. That vision became the foundation for Let’s Talk Therapy.

During my journey to become independently licensed, I learned so much about what it feels like to work in this field; the good and the hard parts. I paid attention to what made me feel supported and what left me feeling unseen. When I finally had the opportunity to open my own practice, I knew I wanted to create a place where therapists felt valued, understood, and inspired to do their best work. I wanted to be the kind of leader I had needed earlier in my career: approachable, real, and honest.

Let’s Talk Therapy was built with those values at its core. Our team includes clinicians at different stages in their professional journey, from interns to fully licensed therapists. This mix allows us to meet clients where they are while giving new clinicians a space to learn and grow. It also gives us the opportunity to make therapy accessible to more people. By supervising interns, I am able to offer low-cost therapy to those who are facing financial challenges or do not have insurance. No one should be denied help because of cost.

What makes Let’s Talk Therapy special is the heart behind it. This practice is not just a business, it is a reflection of resilience, purpose, and belief in the power of healing. Every person who walks through our doors is met with compassion and authenticity. We believe that therapy should feel human, not clinical. It is a place where both clients and clinicians can show up as their true selves, do the hard work of healing, and grow into the best version of who they are.

Let’s Talk Therapy exists because I turned my pain into purpose. It is more than a counseling practice; it is a space built from courage, compassion, and hope.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Resilience was something I had to build through some of the darkest moments of my life. Surviving trauma, rebuilding as a single mother, and pursuing my education while raising three children taught me that strength is not about never falling. It is about finding the courage to stand up every single time you do. Resilience allowed me to keep going even when everything felt impossible. For anyone early in their journey, my advice is to trust your ability to overcome. Every challenge teaches you something about who you are and what you are capable of. Growth does not happen in comfort. It happens in perseverance.

Empathy became my guiding force both as a person and as a therapist. Experiencing pain on a deep level helped me connect to others in an authentic and meaningful way. I understand what it feels like to be broken, unseen, and afraid to hope again. That understanding allows me to hold space for others as they heal. To those just beginning their path, I encourage you to listen deeply, not just with your ears but with your heart. The more you understand others’ pain, the more you can help them move through it.

Authenticity is the quality that shaped the foundation of Let’s Talk Therapy. I learned early on that people heal when they feel safe to be real. Whether I am working with a client or leading my team, I show up as myself, honest, open, and human. For anyone growing in this field, my advice is to embrace who you are. You do not have to be perfect to make an impact. You simply have to be present, genuine, and willing to keep learning.

Those three qualities, resilience, empathy, and authenticity, are what allowed me to turn my pain into purpose and build a practice that reflects hope, healing, and human connection.

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?

Yes, I am always looking to collaborate with other professionals. I am especially interested in connecting with clinicians and wellness specialists who share a passion for whole-person care and who want to grow both personally and professionally. My goal is to treat the whole person, which means having strong referral networks and partnerships that allow us to support clients in every aspect of their well-being, mental, emotional, and physical.

I am looking to connect with professionals who value open, honest, and raw conversations about mental health and wellness. I believe that by building authentic connections with others in the field, we can create a stronger community of care and ensure that clients receive comprehensive support that truly meets their needs. Collaboration is about more than referrals. It is about sharing knowledge, learning from each other, and finding ways to innovate and improve how we support the people we serve.

If you are a clinician, therapist, or wellness professional who wants to grow, build meaningful connections, and engage in honest discussions about mental health, I would love to connect. You can reach out via email, [email protected], and we can explore how to partner in a way that strengthens our work and helps clients thrive.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://LetsTalkTherapyPLLC.com
• Instagram: letstalktherapypllc
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/letstalktherapypllc
• Other: email: [email protected].