Let Your Light Shine

One of Alsana’s guiding principles, Let Your Light Shine, means we share our passions and bring positivity to everything we do. Today, we’re showing how Isabelle Bryer’s light shines! Isabelle, known by her team as Isa, is the Program Director at Alsana’s Westlake Village PHP/IOP facility. She welcomes new clients and creates a safe, nurturing environment to aid in healing and recovery. With a background in visual art and art history, Isabelle uses art therapy to show individuals how to pursue happiness and help them find their creative voice.

Isabelle earned a degree in fashion design and art history from schools in France and was an art instructor at a private studio and Pierce College. After a move from France to New York city and then L.A. in the 90’s, she started working in behavioral health and specifically eating disorders.

Apple Tart Bake Isa made with Alsana clients

“When joining Alsana, I quickly felt at home in a place where I could use my creative and relational skills,” Bryer says. “Being French, an enthusiasm for food is in my DNA and I like to share this passion with our clients. I love working alongside clinicians and I am committed in shaping our facility in a space where staff and clients feel welcome and heard.”

Isabelle believes in nurturing people and helping them create relationships that will assist in their recovery. She is described as calm, nurturing, creative, and team oriented.

Kind Words From Her Colleagues

“Isa is the backbone of Westlake PHP. She is the first face clients meet when they walk in the door; her compassion, kindness, and dedication to each client’s wellbeing and recovery is unmatched. She is a culture carrier for Alsana both at Westlake Village and as a whole!”

“Isa is one of the most reliable and remarkable humans I know.  She is always willing to help in any situation kindly and empathically, willing to answer questions anytime, help delegate tasks to ease the burden of overwhelm, be a listening ear for staff in addition to the clients, and never waivers from authentic and true care and kindness.  The consistency and stability she can hold through chaos and urgency is seen being met with reason and calmness; this quality and uniqueness cannot be replaced or matched.  Isa has a very special way of making life feel easier, doable, and so much brighter.  Not only is Alsana a better place, but the world is a better place with her in it and I am beyond grateful to get to experience work-life with her!”

“Isa’s personality, art, and compassion bring sunshine and joy to the office.”

“Isa is the absolute best! (really, she is!) She is great with clients and staff. She is very supportive and understanding, always working hard, and makes me love coming into work every day. I love having Isa as my boss.”

Isa’s recent trip to Paris

10 Fun Facts about Isabelle

1. If you could travel back to any year, what year would it be and why?
1969, to experience the Peace and Love movement and the Woodstock concert
2. What’s one thing or interesting fact most people don’t know about you?
When I first moved to the US I worked for a fashion trend company in NYC. I was paid to be a “fashion spy”, making sketches and taking photos of trends in European cities and bringing them to the US
3. What are your hobbies?
All things creative. I will paint anything I can get my hands on and I love to bake French desserts
4. Do you have any pets? One antisocial cat named Miyuki who only likes the 4 people in her family and hates everyone else.
5. What’s your ideal way to spend your weekends? Hiking an easy hill first thing in the morning, cooking and eating lunch with my family and paint for the rest of the day
6. What topic could you give an hour-long presentation on with little to no preparation? “How can you find your voice as an artist” or “Where in L.A. can you find the best pastries and croissants”
7. What’s the top destination on your must-visit list? Tokyo, Bali, Costa Rica
8. What’s one of your favorite memories from the past year? Traveling to the French countryside with my daughter to visit our family and seeing amazing art shows in Paris
9. Favorite guiding principle and why? “Let your light shine”. We do invite everyone on our team to let their talent and abilities shine when they come to work. Every day we try to encourage our clients to show up as the person they were meant to be all along, to reconnect with their authentic self. I like to “bring my art to work”, come up with creative ideas for our art groups, and occasionally you will find me in the kitchen making crêpes
10. Favorite comfort snack? Dulce de Leche ice cream, milk chocolate and hazelnut Ritter Sport from the gas station