Will Bryant

Biography

Hello! My name is Will Bryant and I’m a North Carolina native based out of Orlando, Florida. For the first ten years of my career, I performed across the United States from professional theaters to cruise ships as an entertainer and musician. After working closely with an extremely diverse population in a wide range of fast-paced and ever-changing environments, I gained a deep understanding of one of the most challenging industries available. Over time, a desire to help others and further develop my understanding of human nature and functioning led me to shift gears to pursue a degree in Clinical Psychology and a career in counseling and coaching.

In the realm of psychological understanding, I bring a broad range of knowledge from psychological modalities and techniques to counseling and career development. I previously served as an Undergraduate Teaching Assistant in Career Development and as a Research Assistant researching college students’ adjustment to adverse conditions--both at the University of Central Florida. Currently finishing my Bachelor of Science in Clinical psychology, I bring to my coaching a unique perspective and set of skills that aims to foster a warm and trusting environment rooted in effective techniques. That being said, passion, a sense of urgency, and humor (when appropriate) are three other components I bring to the forefront of my coaching that remind clients that they come first and that we’re all in this process together.

What are some of your special interests?

One of my special interests has been (and always will be) the creative industry from theatre and film to music and live performance. I've always been fascinated with art and creative expression especially as it pertains to storytelling. What magnetizes me to stories is the range of the human experience that can be captured in them. We all have a story to tell and there is so much adventure, beauty, and possibility in all of them. Just as I am, whoever is reading this is living their story right now.

Video games are a secondary interest of mine. In moderation, I find them to be a great form of recreation. I think they are an ultimate vessel for imagination! In a sense, I think it is one of the only opportunities we have as people to experience other's imaginations and interact with them.

Music is a constant for me! I listen to it, create it, perform it, and I think it is a wonderful thing to experience. Messages can not only be conveyed through lyrics but the music itself. My favorite genres range from classic and progressive rock to jazz, show tunes, metal, punk, and blues. As a drummer, some of my rhythmic idols include Dave Grohl, Keith Moon, Josh Eppard, Faye Fadem, and Chad Smith to name a few.

What does executive functioning mean to you?

Executive function refers to one’s ability to use the many skills and methods available to them to their advantage in succeeding in their lives and achieving their goals.

What is a strategy you use with clients and use personally?

I strive to promote mindfulness and strengths-based approaches to most of life's challenges. I prefer tactics such as the "brain dump" where I write out everything in my head, then find a categorical way to prioritize those tasks. Additionally, I find that organizing items based on their urgency and importance can help reduce excessive cognitive overload and provide mental clarity.

How has your personal experience and professional development impacted your coaching?

Every success and every trial has something to offer you and your growth. I’ve tried many different things and some come to me more naturally than others. This will be the same for other people depending on their life experience, so I encourage clients to embrace their approaches and celebrate their aspirations, setbacks, and victories.

How would you describe your personal approach to coaching?

I put the client and their needs first and approach all endeavors with a strengths-based mindset. After a healthy rapport-building process, I use as much information as possible to work with the client on developing an action plan that suits their needs. Often, embracing our differences as powerful characteristics instead of viewing them as limitations is the key to comfortably unlocking our full potential. I also value other components such as accountability, acceptance, honesty, and integrity.

Which of LSA's core values resonates the most with you, and how do you incorporate it with your clients?

Bravery In Advocacy is one of our core values that deeply resonates with me and I strive to incorporate that in my coaching with clients by encouraging them to become detail-oriented about their choices and their needs. It takes courage to set healthy boundaries with yourself, and with others, and it takes even more to do that with loved ones. As counterintuitive as it may seem as a neurodivergent person, asserting your needs does not equal taking away someone else's. Exercising your autonomy as an individual takes courage because it means having a potentially uncomfortable conversation with another. Furthermore, asking for help or support isn't a sign of weakness--it is a display of strength to be able to do so. I encourage my clients to embrace their uniqueness to access their strength and to be brave as they discover their needs and preferences in self-advocacy.

Do you have an area of coaching you specialize in?

Time management, self-monitoring, self-promotion, impulse awareness, understanding and preventing burnout and fatigue, academic/career development, accepting and managing criticism and rejection, setting boundaries with others and one's self, etc.