About Danielle
I believe all people possess unique abilities and knowledge; sometimes though, we can lose track of our own talents and coping skills. My goal is simply to guide you in accessing and effectively weilding resources you already possess. That said, sometimes the therapeutic process illuminates areas where you could benefit from learning new ways of coping; I am an experienced DBT coping skills trainer and am happy to help you learn new ways to meet the challenges you are facing. Hopefully, through therapy you will feel more centered, confident in your own ability to tolerate and manage your life, and ultimately expand your horizons.
I value a comfortable, casual, and supportive therapeutic environment-- and at the same time, I carry a healthy respect for logic and scientifically-supported theories and practices. A proud nerd, I’m very interested in the latest neurobiology research and frequently bring evolutionary psychology to my understanding of emotion and behavior. My therapy background includes experience with and training in: Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Rational Emotive Therapy, Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy, Coherence therapy, and Prolonged Exposure.
ABOUT DANIELLE
I didn’t actually choose therapy; it chose me. I’m curious about people (a natural born “yenta”), and am forever interested in the human experience. I was about to pursue a graduate degree in psychology research, when I realized a) people really like talking to me b) I really like listening and c) I wanted to be my own boss. Thus, a therapist was born.
I went to UT Austin— twice— and have continued training in the areas of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Gottman Method Couples’ Therapy, Prolonged Exposure (PE) Therapy for trauma, and use many techniques from Rational Emotive Therapy (RET), Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP), and Coherence Therapy. I’m not a philosophy student, but people who are tell me that I tend to get pretty philosophical in therapy too. I just think it’s important to pin down what your core values and beliefs are, and then center your world around them.
My style is pretty straightforward and transparent. As I mentioned, I’m a yenta, and I always want to know what’s going on behind the scenes. My own therapists spend a lot of time teaching me about what they’re doing when they work with me, and I find it infinitely helpful, so I do the same with my clients. My goal is to put myself out of business by helping you become your own therapist, so I tend to teach as I go.
My training and experience includes:
Master of Science in Social Work, University of Texas at Austin
Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, University of Texas at Austin
DBT Intensive Training, Behavioral Tech (The Linehan Institute)
DBT Prolonged Exposure Therapy Training, Behavioral Tech (The Linehan Institute)
Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Training
Guest lecturer on DBT at University of Texas at Austin School of Social Work graduate program
Experience using DBT in intensive outpatient and psychiatric inpatient settings
Stuff I love: crafting, cooking, audio books, mystery novels, sci-fi, Jewish comedy, swimming, hiking, gardening badly, weird music, and tv/film (I believe there is a Seinfeld reference for pretty much any life situation).
I have: two kids, two cats, a dog, a spouse, and a trombone I swear I will pick up one of these days.
As you browse about my website, enjoy some photos I took of the flora I encountered on the lovely island of Maui (my gardening happy place).