We are so thrilled to welcome Licensed Mental Health Counselor Jonathan Bannigan to our practice. We wanted to take an opportunity to get to know a little about him outside of the therapy room- enjoy!
What led you to becoming a therapist?
After graduating from college, I eventually found my way to New York City, where I worked in community healthcare centers focused on gay men’s health. In that setting, I took on my first counseling role, providing informational, logistical, and emotional support to young gay men seeking HIV and STI testing and related services. I found that I deeply valued these conversations and the opportunity to offer guidance during uncertain moments.
Surrounded by professional therapists to whom I regularly referred clients, I realized I wanted to be the one conducting those in-depth sessions—spending my days immersed in the work of helping others navigate their inner worlds. At the encouragement of a mentor, I pursued graduate school in mental health counseling after a grant I was working on expired.
But on a deeper level, I was drawn to therapy because I have personally benefited from it at pivotal moments in my own life. The insight and healing I experienced through those relationships meant so much to me that I felt there was nothing more meaningful than offering that same kind of support to others.
And, if I’m being completely honest, I’ve always had a lifelong orientation toward my inner world—sometimes finding it as compelling, if not more compelling, than the outer world. Becoming a therapist felt like a natural fit.
What part of the job do you find most rewarding?
By far, the most rewarding part of being a therapist is helping clients see themselves and their experiences in an entirely new light—especially when it brings clarity to aspects of their lives that once felt baffling, distressing, or unresolved. I truly believe that deepened self-knowledge is valuable in its own right, regardless of how it’s applied.
There’s something incredibly fulfilling about watching a client realize that what they’ve kept hidden from themselves isn’t something to fear after all. Every individual deserves the chance to come home to themselves in the deepest way possible, and therapy provides that opportunity like few other human endeavors.
What part of the job do you find most challenging?
To be honest, the hardest part of the job isn’t necessarily the complex or ambiguous issues that clients bring into the room—though those certainly exist. Instead, the biggest challenge is managing my own expectations of myself as a therapist.
Like many of my clients, I have what’s been called an “unduly harsh superego,” which is just a fancy way of saying I can be unreasonably hard on myself. There’s a part of me that insists nothing less than being a “perfect” therapist—perhaps even an ascended master—will suffice. Of course, therapy isn’t about perfection; it’s about integration, acceptance, and growth. Just as I help my clients work through their own self-judgments, I continually remind myself that being an effective therapist doesn’t mean being flawless—it means being present, attuned, and human.
In many ways, the therapeutic process is a partnership between two “wounded healers,” walking alongside each other toward greater understanding. And that’s more than enough.
Who are your professional/personal role models?
First and foremost, my professional role models are the therapists and clinical supervisors with whom I’ve worked—both as a patient and as a supervisee. These are people who model humaneness, compassion, and an incredible capacity for tolerating the contradictions, paradoxes, absurdities, and uncomfortable truths of human nature. They embody deep curiosity, patience, and an openness to the complexity of the human experience—qualities I strive to bring into my own work.
What’s a guilty pleasure TV show or movie?
There’s no room for guilt in this discussion! Seriously, though, so much of my work with clients involves helping them recognize and release unconscious, irrational guilt that I have to be difficult and reject the premise of this question entirely.
That said, if I had to name a few favorite movies, I’d have to go with The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies (my sister and I can quote these movies back and forth for hours on end, and often do), The Matrix trilogy (never speak to me of The Matrix 4), and The Silence of the Lambs—which, yes, is oddly cozy to me.
As for TV, I’m currently obsessed with Severance—something about its eerie, surreal world and existential questions keeps me hooked.
Most memorable vacation?
Maui, 2019. My now-husband proposed to me on the beach at sunset, which would have made it memorable enough on its own. But the trip also included a helicopter ride along the jungle cliffs of Moloka’i (set to the Jurassic Park theme, which was peak cinematic magic), my first time zip-lining, and—for reasons I can’t quite explain—my first and last attempt at sporting a mustache.
What’s the most adventurous thing you’ve ever done?
Truthfully, committing to graduate school and pursuing a career in mental health counseling at 30 was probably the boldest leap I’ve ever taken. It required a lot of faith in myself, a willingness to start over, and an acceptance that the path wouldn’t always be clear. But it has turned out to be one of the most rewarding decisions of my life.
Two truths and a lie
1. I have a physical collection of over 150 Nintendo Switch games.
2. I briefly hung out with a then-famous ‘90s television star when I was 7 or 8 years old.
3. I summited a 14,000-foot mountain in Colorado.
(**scroll down to the bottom to read the answer!)
What are you most looking forward to in your professional future?
I’m excited to deepen my work with clients in my local community, helping them navigate challenges in a way that feels authentic and meaningful to them. I also look forward to refining my therapeutic approach—drawing from different modalities while staying grounded in what works best for each individual. Therapy is a constantly evolving field, and I love that there’s always more to learn.
Jonathan is currently accepting new clients and has immediate openings! To get connected click here to fill out our contact form.
As for the answer to two truths and a lie….Jonathan says: Summiting a 14,000-foot mountain in Colorado is a blatant lie! I haven’t even summited my basement rowing machine in quite some time—but I will change that.