Terese Brennan-Marquez
Beginning and Lower School Counselor
University of California, Berkeley - B.S., San Francisco State University - M.S.W.
Terese Brennan-Marquez became part of the Renbrook community in 2024 as the Beginning and Lower School Counselor, supporting students from Pre-K through Grade 4. With a Bachelor of Science in Conservation of Natural Resources from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Master of Social Work from California State University, San Francisco, Terese brings both intellectual depth and heartfelt dedication to her work. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in California and Connecticut and has spent her career supporting children and families in a variety of settings.
Her professional background includes private practice therapy with individuals, children, adolescents, and families, as well as specialized work in parent-infant psychotherapy supporting families with children ages zero to five. She has worked extensively in both public and private schools from kindergarten through twelfth grade and has contributed to the development of social emotional learning curriculum. These experiences have shaped her understanding of schools as complex systems that thrive when children’s emotional health is supported alongside their academic growth.
At Renbrook, Terese counsels students, consults closely with teachers and parents, and teaches social emotional learning lessons within the classroom. She believes strongly in the research demonstrating that children’s academic achievement is deeply intertwined with their social and emotional well-being. For her, working in school counseling is about helping children feel understood, regulated, and connected so they can fully engage in learning. She feels deeply supported by her colleagues and appreciates the school’s shared commitment to focusing on the needs of each child.
Outside of school, Terese finds joy in knitting, weaving, hiking, traveling, cooking, reading, writing, and spending time with her family, especially her two young granddaughters. She shares her home with her beloved rescue Goldendoodle. She is guided by the reminder from Albert Einstein, “Remember your humanity and forget the rest.”social-emotionalsocial-emotional
