Wholeness Healing Center

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Keri Brugger

LIcensed Independent Mental Health Practitioner
Provisional Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor

Keri Brugger, LIMHP, PLADC began working at Wholeness Healing Center in October 2016. She sees clients in the Grand Island office and also takes referrals from the Boone/Nance/Greely county areas. Keri sees individuals of all ages as well as couples and families. She has experience planning and facilitating a wide variety of process and psycho-educational groups.

Experience

Previously Keri worked in an Intensive Outpatient Program helping individuals and their families as they healed from severe and persistent mental illnesses including mood, anxiety, and personality disorders. She treated clients facing a wide array of challenges such as hoarding disorders, panic attacks, complicated grief, chronic pain, prolonged physical illness, and early stage dementia. Additionally, Keri treated those recovering from addiction. Coordinating and consulting with primary care physicians and the staff psychiatrist, along with oversight of medication and case management were an integral part of Keri’s responsibilities. Keri’s work experience has enabled her to develop treatment expertise in the areas of grief and loss, unipolar and bipolar depression, anxiety, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and trauma and abuse.

Keri also has experience treating those in various stages of addiction recovery. She spent her internship at St. Monica’s Behavioral Health for Women in Lincoln, NE. While there she focused on helping mothers and their children heal from the ravages of addiction, abuse, and trauma. Keri’s experience at St. Monica’s sparked her passion for addictions counseling as well as her interest in treating couples and families. St. Monica’s emphasizes the importance of treating the family system and Keri brings this philosophy with her to Wholeness Healing Center.

Training and Aspirations

Keri has completed training in the areas of DBT, CBT, psycho-pharmacology, motivational interviewing, and trauma-informed care. She has experience with Seeking Safety, Circle of Security, Nurturing Parent, and Celebrating Families curriculum, all of which are designed to help families and individuals recovering from addiction or trauma. She also has considerable experience working with the geriatric population.

Keri has completed several trauma trainings and holds a certificate as a Certified Trauma Professional. She has also completed the Critical Incident Stress Management Training and is a Registered Service Provider. Keri has also completed the Gottmann Marriage and Family training series.

Keri is particularly interested in Animal Assisted Therapy and hopes to begin using therapy dogs in the near future. She believes strongly in the ability of animals to promote security and healing and is excited to include them in her work.

Education and Background

Keri earned her Master of Arts in Counseling and her Bachelor of Arts in Human Relations from Doane College in Lincoln, NE. Prior to earning these degrees, Keri spent over 20 years as a music teacher and small business owner, partnering with her husband on their family farm. Keri has undergraduate degrees in business and animal science.

Personal

Keri and her husband have four grown children, one son-in-law, and two beloved dogs, all of whom bring immense joy to their lives. The couple live and farm near Albion, NE where Keri spends as much time as she can in her yard and gardens. Other interests include a life-long love of learning, reading, and time with friends. Her most important moments are spent enjoying visits with her children, most of which involve music-making, travel, and outdoor adventure.

Keri’s desire as a therapist is to help others find their power, embrace it, and use it to become their best self. She sees herself as a partner on a journey of discovery and believes her role is to provide a safe, non-judgmental, compassionate place where hope can transform souls and lives.