Biography
Andy Pham
What do you do? In 2024, I graduated from Thomas Jefferson University with my master's degree in marriage and family therapy, with a concentration in sex therapy and anti-racism in health. I am now an early career psychotherapist that is working towards independent licensure. I currently work as a full-time outpatient therapist at the Center for Families and Relationships, where I provide therapy services for individuals, couples, and families. At my organization, I also provide trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy to support adolescents and children in reducing their PTSD symptoms from traumatic events. Through city-sponsored training programs, I am working toward certification in TF-CBT. I also work part-time at Mango Tree Counseling and Consulting, which is a practice centered around providing socioculturally attuned mental healthcare for Asian clients. As part of my work there, I provide therapy services, including sex therapy, to diverse range of Asian clients. We also work with community partners to create mental health programming through group therapy and workshops.
How did the GNSS concentration shape your career? I believe that the GNSS concentration at Brown taught me how to ask better questions about life, relationships, and systemic issues. And, part of being a therapist, especially a family systems therapist like me, is being able to ask quality questions about life, relationships, and systemic issues. At Brown, I focused my double concentration in ETHN and GNSS on disparities in healthcare. Through the GNSS program, I more deeply studied how issues related to gender and sexuality impacted people's experiences in healthcare and influenced the quality of their health outcomes. This background knowledge has informed my efforts to utilize anti-oppressive and socioculturally attuned frameworks when working with my clients. It has also allowed me to feel more confident in assessing and holding space for therapeutic conversations related to a variety of topics including: gender roles in relationships; development of sexual identity and gender identity; and societal scripts related to sex. Additionally, when studying to become a therapist or when strengthening one's therapeutic skill set, there is a lot of clinical theory and research to engage with. GNSS taught me how to approach, struggle through, and better understand theory and research. In short, GNSS provided me with a robust social sciences education, which has continually improved my competency and confidence as a therapist.