Dr. Brandy Martinez
Dr. Brandy Martinez is a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in individual and couples therapy with adults. She takes a trauma-informed approach in individual therapy, helping clients manage intense emotions, break unhelpful patterns, and build healthier relationships. With couples, she focuses on improving communication, strengthening problem-solving skills, and fostering emotional understanding and connection.
Clinical Expertise
Dr. Martinez has extensive training in evidence-based treatments and specialized expertise in trauma, emotion regulation, and relationship dynamics. She has a strong background in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), which serves as the foundation of her skills-based approach. In addition to DBT, she is trained in trauma-informed, transdiagnostic interventions such as Skills Training in Affective and Interpersonal Relationships (STAIR) and the Unified Protocol (UP), which support clients in building emotional resilience and adaptive coping. In addition, she has extensive training in gold-standard, trauma-focused therapies, including Prolonged Exposure (PE), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), and Written Exposure Therapy (WET).
As a couples therapist, Dr. Martinez primarily draws from Integrative Behavioral Couples Therapy (IBCT), a compassionate and evidence-based model that helps partners enhance communication, deepen understanding, and strengthen emotional connection. She also has training in Conjoint Behavioral Couples Therapy (CBCT) for PTSD, which enables her to support couples in healing and reconnecting as they navigate the effects of trauma together.
Therapeutic Style
Dr. Martinez strongly values the development of a genuine, collaborative therapeutic relationship with her clients. She brings an honest and direct style to therapy combined with a compassionate and nonjudgemental approach that helps clients feel supported, respected, and empowered to make meaningful changes in their lives. Sessions with her are often goal-directed and focused, while remaining flexible and tailored to each individual’s needs. She emphasizes individualized treatment that considers the whole person, including their sociocultural background and unique identities.
Education & Training
Dr. Martinez earned her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the University of Notre Dame and completed both her internship and postdoctoral fellowship at the Durham VA Health Care System. During her fellowship with the Durham VA’s Mid-Atlantic Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, she gained advanced clinical and research expertise in working with individuals who have experienced trauma and struggle with severe emotion dysregulation. She now provides supervision and training to other therapy providers, reflecting her ongoing commitment to increasing access to high-quality, evidence-based care.