the back story

Diana Brawley is a licensed clinical social worker who works with teens, couples, men, and women struggling with the devaluation of self, depression, anxiety, anger, grief and overwhelming life transitions. Diana is also a Presbyterian clergy person. She aims to live with courage and commits to using her training and gifts to help others do the same.

Brawley received her MDiv and ThM from Princeton Theological Seminary and her MSW from the University of Georgia. She has worked with young people, families, and adults struggling with a broad range of emotional issues both in outpatient and inpatient settings.

She is also a trained mindfulness facilitator as well as the Center for Courage & Renewal. She offers mindful workshops and retreats with an emphasis on self care, professional and personal renewal.

Diana Brawley is passionately interested in the nexus of spiritual, mental and physical health. She offers Mindful Self-Compassion in Psychotherapy to her eclectic training, making her uniquely trained. She also is educated in the following: psychodynamic theory–connecting the painful past with current problems), cognitive behavioral therapy–helping reframe negative beliefs about self and circumstances), narrative therapy–where our identities are shaped by the accounts of our lives in our stories and solution-focused therapy, at all times building on the unique strengths of each individual. 

Brawley also assists organizations support its employees with mindfulness and self-care, meditation, leadership training, conflict resolution, crisis intervention, creative evaluation, and system theory applications. She has lead seminars and training programs for congregations and organizations.

In 2009, Diana Brawley joined the Pastoral Counseling Services of Central Virginia and brought a counseling ministry presence to Charlottesville.   In less than two years, Diana founded the Counseling Ministry of Charlottesville, LLC (CMC) and began seeing people in need in sacred spaces in and around Charlottesville. March of 2016, CMC found a new home at Common Grounds, suite 2-c,  surrounded by non-profits on the corner of Gordon Ave. and Rugby. Inspired by necessity during the COVID-19 pandemic, CMC went online and enlarged its reach. For more information about how you can get started call 434-987-6097.