Meet our Staff: Brooke Ransom-Burr

Meet our Staff: Brooke Ransom-Burr

“I wanted to live near the ocean,” says Brooke Ransom-Burr, explaining the decision to leave her native Indiana for the northern California coastline. She had just completed a year of service through AmeriCorps and was ready to dive into another stint out west. “I got accepted into a program in Humboldt County. I moved here just for a year experience and I’m going on 18 years now.”

Brooke always knew that she wanted to work in a field that promoted youth empowerment. After earning her undergraduate degree in Public Administration, with a focus on non-profit management, she had the opportunity to engage in more direct service through her AmeriCorps placements. Mentoring youth alongside social workers piqued her interest in behavioral health, ultimately guiding her to pursue her MFT training at J.F.K University.

Today, Brooke is the Director of Counseling Services for SAY. Her compassionate, thoughtful approach to leadership helps to bring out the best version of each individual on her team. Collaboration and team-building come naturally to her, and she credits SAY for always providing a work environment that is supportive and encourages growth.

“When I first came to SAY, I instantly realized what a special place this was,” says Brooke. “People actually live the core values, they aren’t just words stuck to the wall. And when our team feels supported and cared for, they have the ability to go out and give that back to the youth we serve.”

Brooke and her team provide counseling to children, youth, and families who often have complex mental health needs. In order to maintain a sense of joy in their work, they start each staff meeting by sharing moments of appreciation for one another and taking the time to make sure everyone feels seen. This simple act goes a long way in promoting well-being for staff who manage a high-trauma caseload.

Outside of her work at SAY, Brooke loves to explore nature with her husband and their two kids, listen to music, and dance. She dreams of having the time to once again pick up one of her favorite hobbies: quilting.

 

You can learn more about SAY’s Counseling Services by watching this short video.
Click here to visit our program page.