Brian Rush McDonald
Brian Rush McDonald, a native of Mobile, Alabama resides in Alexandria, Virginia just outside of Washington, DC where he is psychotherapist in private practice. He treats individuals who are experiencing depression, anxiety, or life adjustment issues. He also provides couples counseling. He has served as an adjunct professor of counseling at area universities. He holds a Ph.D in counseling from the College of William and Mary. He enjoys playing trombone in several community groups and loves jigsaw puzzles and crosswords. He and his wife Kathy love sailing on the Chesapeake Bay. They have three adult children and three grandchildren.
Twitter: @drbrianmc
Instagram: @brian.r.mcdonald
Are there particular films that have influenced your writing?
"The Trip to Bountiful", starring Geraldine Page and John Heard. Originally a stage play, this is a heart-wrenching story about an elderly woman who wants to to return to the town where she grew up, Bountiful, Texas one more time before she dies. The movie is a mixture of sentimentality and pathos, with just a touch of humor. I find myself attempting to infuse all three in my writing.
"Nebraska" starring Bruce Dern. I feel somehow connected to life's reality by the irony of an old man who falls for a scam, but finds his
life enriched by the hope this belief injects into his otherwise decaying existence. Again, pathos, pity, injected with occasional humor.
Have you ever experienced Imposter Syndrome?
When I was beginning my residency to eventually become a therapist, the agency where I was assigned asked what age group I preferred to work with. I said, "any age, but no one below 12 years old." My first patient was a five year old child brought in by his mother. I did my best to appear competent, but I really felt I was a total imposter. I eventually calmed myself and began the process.
Do you have another artistic outlet in addition to your writing? Do you sew? Paint? Draw? Knit? Dance?
When I was around 9 yrs old, I was sitting quietly in a neighbor's home while my parents sang along as our neighbor played the organ. There was an old guitar next to the chair where I sat and I surreptitiously plucked the strings in rhythm with the music I was hearing. The feeling was exhilarating. I later learned to play guitar and have played trombone in various groups wherever I've lived, even in another country. I never tire of making musical sounds.
What brings you great joy?
I love to be near the water, ocean, rivers, or bays. I live and work near the Potomac River and sometimes just stand on the bank, watch the
water and think of what has happened there. We have a sailboat and my wife and I take day trips on the Chesapeake Bay. Feeling the breeze on your skin and hearing the quiet hiss of the boat moving through the water is very soothing.
Do you speak a second language? Do you think differently in that language? Does it influence your writing?
I was trained to speak Mandarin (Chinese) as a foreign missionary and worked for many years in settings where I used this language. From time to time I feel that a thought would be better expressed in Mandarin than in English. Attempting to find the English phrase that best captures such a thought is sort of a creative endeavor in and of itself.
