Briana Herman-Brand, MSW, has been working with youth and adults for 20 years to heal and transform the root causes and impacts of trauma and oppression. Through training, facilitation, and coaching she supports individuals and communities to build skills at the intersections of healing and justice. She is a Lead Teacher with the organization, Generative Somatics, where she teaches courses nationally on trauma healing and embodied leadership for educators, counselors, and social justice leaders. Since 2003, Briana has worked in King County public schools and non-profits, supporting youth to interrupt cycles of violence while building collective power and dignity. For the past 6 years, Briana has been sharing her Trauma-Informed Practice/Healing Justice framework with providers who want to increase the power and sustainability of their work. Briana has worked extensively in the fields of domestic and sexual violence, White anti-racism, LGBTQ experience, transformative/restorative justice, and community organizing.
In 2015, Briana realized her dream of becoming a parent. She is now challenged on a daily basis to apply the principles of healing justice to the “youthwork” of parenting.
I bring a joyful and enthusiastic commitment to building community and creating change. At the core of my work, I prioritize building relationships rooted in mutual dignity, and I support groups to reweave their sense of interdependence. In a world that so often numbs us, I believe that healing our ability to be in depthful relationship with ourselves and others is one of the most powerful tools we have to interrupt and mend cycles of violence. I facilitate spaces where people are encouraged to bring their whole selves – their identities and histories, their mistakes and fears, their joy and hope. I meet people where they are at – bringing empathy and validation to who they are and the intelligence of how they’ve come to be that way – while simultaneously inspiring them towards a more expansive understanding of what’s possible. Whether addressing the impacts of individual and collective trauma, building anti-oppression awareness, or supporting the development of more powerful leadership, I bring a loving and rigorous presence that allows participants to feel safe and respected while taking the risks necessary for growth.