Albany, New York
Brume is a one-person practice for adults who live with dissociation and the effects of harm that went on for years. We begin with grounding, not with the past, and you decide how fast we go.
Who it is for
Brume sees adults, one at a time and in person. It is a good fit if any of this sounds like you.
There may be no single event to point to. It built up over years, often when you were young.
You go blank, lose track of time, or feel unreal. You do not need a label to begin.
Talking it through has left you worse off before, or you need to know that you can stop.
If you need help today, or a program with daily support, we will say so and help you find it.
Your clinician
Rocío is the only clinician at Brume. You will see her at every session.
She works with adults who have lived through long stretches of harm and who find that their mind or body steps away when things get close. Her training includes EMDR, through an EMDRIA-approved program, and body-based approaches to trauma. She explains what she is about to do before she does it, and she stops when you ask.
Sessions are 50 minutes, in person
Adults only, 18 and over
Rocío Agosto
LCSW
The space
One room, a sofa and a chair, a blanket within reach. You choose where to sit, and whether the door stays open.
Therapy
Most people begin with the first and add the others when they are ready. Some never need them.
Steadiness first, then work with memory, then a return to your life.
Read about itNoticing and settling what the body does, in small steps, with your eyes open.
Read about itHow it works
The work has three phases. Nobody keeps the schedule but you, and you can stay in any phase as long as you need.
We learn what helps you stay in the room: your feet, your breath, a sound, a sip of water. We talk about the present, and nothing about the past is required.
Grounding practices you can use anywhere
A plan for the evenings after a session
Only when you say you are ready, we turn toward what happened, a little at a time. We stop when you need to, and we always finish in the present.
You set the amount, and you can pause
No need to tell all of it
We look at work, people and rest, and at what you want more of. Sessions get further apart when you choose, and you can come back.
Fewer sessions, when you decide
The door stays open
Where we practice
Sessions are in person. The waiting area is a single quiet room, and there is no front desk.
Tell us if you would like to arrive a few minutes early and sit before your session.
Get directions to the Brume officeApproach
Brume works in phases because long-term trauma and dissociation ask for it. Rushing toward the hardest memory is not the same as moving forward, and many people have already tried it.
We explain each step before we take it. You can say stop, skip a question, change the subject or open a window. We would rather slow down than push on.
Going slowly is not avoiding the work. It is how the work gets done.
Brume is not an emergency service and is not monitored around the clock. It does not prescribe medication, and it does not do assessments for courts or employers. If another kind of care would serve you better, we will say so.
The questions nearly everyone has before a first session, answered plainly.
Brume is out of network: it does not bill insurance plans, and it does not take Medicare or Medicaid. You pay for each session yourself. If you would rather see someone who bills your plan, Rocío will give you the names of colleagues who do.
Out of network with insurance plans
No Medicare or Medicaid
You pay at the end of each session by card, including HSA and FSA cards. Your fee is given to you in writing before you start, and it does not change without notice. A small number of reduced-fee places are held; ask how to request one. If a hard week means you need to move a session, say so: we ask for 24 hours' notice, and we would rather move a session than lose you.
Each month you receive an itemized receipt (a superbill) with the dates and kind of each session, which you may send to your plan for reimbursement. It carries a diagnosis code, which your insurer can see. Your plan decides whether it pays anything, so ask it before you begin.
If you pay without insurance, you have the right to receive a written estimate of what your care will cost before you start. We give you one before the first session. If the final bill is $400 or more above the estimate, you can dispute it. The estimate is not a contract, and you can leave at any time.
We do not check benefits, because we do not bill your plan. To find out whether it reimburses, call it before the first session and ask about out-of-network mental health care, and what it needs from a receipt.
License
Check any clinician's license with the state before you begin.
Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)
NY Lic. # 000000 · New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions
Required to practice clinical social work in New York
Write to us
We reply within two business days, by the method and at the time you choose. If you would like a 15-minute call to see whether we are a good fit, say so. The call is not therapy and it is not an assessment.