Brenda Scheffler, LCSW

Brenda is a licensed clinical social worker who specializes in the treatment of children and adolescents that have experienced early trauma in life (i.e. abuse, neglect, chaos), impacting their ability to form adequate bonding and attachment. This can have a profound negative impact on the youth’s ability to function safely and adequately in their daily lives. They struggle to have a sense of “felt safety,” feeling worthy and loveable, being able to effectively manage their feelings and behaviors, and feeling connected in relationships. 

Her approach to treatment involves focusing on healing past trauma, developing an enhanced sense of “felt safety” and worthiness in life, learning to more effectively identify and manage feelings in a healthy manner, and developing improved trust and security in relationships.

This involves the parents/caretakers as a critical component of treatment as this approach is very relationship oriented. 

She works to educate parents on the impact of early trauma on brain development, teaches parents new skills in addressing their child’s unmet needs, and utilizes interventions to enhance the parent-child relationship.relationships.

Brenda received her Bachelor degree in Psychology/Sociology from Drury College in Springfield, MO, and her Masters of Social Work from the University of Missouri in Columbia, MO. She has experience working in acute care settings, intensive residential treatment, and outpatient treatment. 

She has worked in the mental health field for over 35 years, with experience with children and adolescents in acute care settings, a residential treatment facility, and outpatient. She worked at Youth Home, Inc. for over 20 years as a primary therapist for adolescent males, and she has worked at BHSA for the past 6 years as an outpatient therapist. In addition, she provides supervision and training for other therapists. 

She enjoys working with her patients at BHSA “because of the support provided by the agency in addressing the needs of the families.” “As a parent of adopted youth that experienced early trauma and significant attachment issues, I understand the unique stressors placed on families as a result of this. I have tremendous respect for those that work to contribute to the healing of these youth and commit to the challenging role of parenting them.”