OFFICE LOCATED IN LOWER WESTCHESTER, NY OFFERING IN PERSON OR TELEHEALTH
OFFICE LOCATED IN LOWER WESTCHESTER, NY OFFERING IN PERSON OR TELEHEALTH
Let's get to the roots and allow for growth.
In Chinese philosophy, or Daoism, dao means 'path'. I see life as a series of chapters and with each one, we grow and shed to evolve with a greater understanding of our life's path.
Many of us have varying levels of trauma that can range from emotional, physical and sexual abuse to bullying, neglect, broken attachments and loss. The effects of trauma, including anxiety, depression, PTSD, chronic pain, mood disorders, suicidal thoughts and dysfunctional relationships can be debilitating. And traditional talk therapy often does not lead to healing.
As a trauma-oriented clinician, I look to normalize your experience and increase insight and awareness into how you relate to others and yourself. Healing from trauma IS possible. Our work can help you gain clarity, unburden negative thoughts and reduce psychic and somatic symptoms, which in turn, helps you get unstuck, improve self-esteem and process phase of life transitions smoothly.
My expertise is in trauma. I am certified in EMDR and am trained in Level 3 IFS. I interweave EMDR and IFS with most trauma cases, given their complementary and relational frameworks. Both EMDR and IFS are evidence based models that effectively relieve symptoms of depression, anxiety and PTSD. When people ask me what constitutes trauma
My expertise is in trauma. I am certified in EMDR and am trained in Level 3 IFS. I interweave EMDR and IFS with most trauma cases, given their complementary and relational frameworks. Both EMDR and IFS are evidence based models that effectively relieve symptoms of depression, anxiety and PTSD. When people ask me what constitutes trauma, I often say that trauma is any event that is not adaptively processed and continues to unconsciously inform your present and your future. I often hear from clients, "That happened when I was a kid, I'm fine" or "I already talked about that, I was in therapy forever". If an acute/single-event trauma or relational and developmental trauma of any kind is not adaptively processed we are left with a hyper-vigilant nervous system, negative beliefs about ourselves and others, somatic issues, and displaced emotions. Without insight, awareness and healing, our traumas are in the lead, making decisions that impede our emotional and interpersonal growth.
My approach is client-centered, collaborative, and non-pathologizing.
I prioritize building a safe and trusting therapeutic relationship by welcoming all feelings and life stories. I work at your pace to help develop an authentic sense of self, increased insight, and improved relationships. I focus primarily on individual clients across
My approach is client-centered, collaborative, and non-pathologizing.
I prioritize building a safe and trusting therapeutic relationship by welcoming all feelings and life stories. I work at your pace to help develop an authentic sense of self, increased insight, and improved relationships. I focus primarily on individual clients across the lifespan. At times, dyad work with a loved one or family member is needed and I can provide that on a short-term basis. I welcome both in person and virtual sessions and am licensed in NY, NJ and CT. I utilize a variety of evidence-based modalities to help clients process trauma. The length of treatment will vary depending on single-event or complex trauma and client's readiness and motivation for deep therapeutic work.
I came into this career after a decade of working in Advertising as a broadcast producer and some time teaching in a hard-to-staff school in the Bronx as an AmeriCorp
NYC Teaching Fellow.
I received my Master of Social Work from Fordham University. My post-graduate training included clinical work at community mental health outpatient c
I came into this career after a decade of working in Advertising as a broadcast producer and some time teaching in a hard-to-staff school in the Bronx as an AmeriCorp
NYC Teaching Fellow.
I received my Master of Social Work from Fordham University. My post-graduate training included clinical work at community mental health outpatient centers treating traumatized populations in low-socioeconomic areas. I continued this work in the Bronx and Yonkers, NY for nearly a decade and also supervised clinicians and led a task force on suicide prevention.
I have extensive training in CBT, DBT, EMDR, IFS, Motivational Interviewing, and
Sandtray therapy and Nonviolent Communication. I provided pro-bono EMDR therapy to community members during the early months of the Covid pandemic.
Currently, I am an approved provider under the NIOSH WTC Foundation treating first responders suffering from 9/11 related PTSD. When not in private practice, I have been invited to guest lecture at MSW programs in the area.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a structured therapy that encourages the patient to focus briefly on the trauma memory while simultaneously experiencing bilateral stimulation (typically eye movements), which is associated with a reduction in the vividness and emotion associated with the trauma memories. EMDR therapy is an extensively researched, effective psychotherapy method proven to help people recover from trauma and PTSD symptoms. Ongoing research supports positive clinical outcomes showing EMDR therapy as a helpful treatment for disorders such as anxiety, depression, OCD, chronic pain, addictions, and other distressing life experiences
Imagine being able to appreciate your anger, your inner critic, or your anxiety. It is possible with IFS therapy. You will learn to appreciate these as just parts of you that are actually protecting you from emotional pain. And once these parts feel understood and appreciated, they will be able to step back and allow for the parts they are protecting - I'm not good enough, It's my fault, I have no control - to tell their stories and heal. You will learn that there are no bad parts of you and that all parts are welcome in our sessions. You will learn that self-compassion is not only possible, it is essential to healing the traumas that happened to you, and no longer need to define you.
Anxiety and depression are hitting our youth like never before. Both school and 'in real life' feel less safe, emotionally and physically, leaving this vulnerable age group to rely on social media as a coping skill, leading to further isolation. This creative and malleable population is in need of healthy coping skills. I work with ages 5 and up to help them process trauma and reduce anxiety, depression, self harm and suicidal thoughts. Let's face it, our kids are growing up in a world that is technologically curated, leading some to believe they are 'less than' during their most crucial developmental stages. We will work to build self-esteem and help them discover and love their true selves. A variety of therapy modalities are offered including play, sand tray, EMDR and art therapy.
OCD is a complex condition with diverse manifestations and origins. For many people, fear of uncertainty and misappropriated responsibility bring about negative core beliefs about the self, others and the world. OCD becomes a part that 'protects' from these negative beliefs and an uncertain future, yet perpetuates the doubt in one's self and leaves you anxious and without agency. Many suffering from OCD feel both stressed by it and stressed at the thought of not having it.
I work with clients to collaborate on a conception of their OCD and then utilize EMDR to process OCD in a variety of ways. Overtime, OCD will begin to trust that you do have enough control in your life, you can make mistakes and be ok and you are a good enough person. As these new positive beliefs begin to take hold, OCD won't have to work so hard and dominate your life.
I came into this area of focus after my daughter was diagnosed with a vestibular condition called Mal de Debarquement Syndrome (MdDS). Over the past ten years, neurologists told us she would live with this incurable condition and to limit what she does in life. These conditions are often treated with vestibular therapy and SSRI's because there is nothing 'to fix', meaning there is no structural cause or tissue damage. Her debilitating dizziness is real. But as I finally learned, after mountains and years of research, her vestibular condition is the result of neural circuit dysfunction. When my daughter literally disembarked from a boat ride, she felt the normal sensations of 'rocking' as if she was still on a boat. But her brain had an overactive response to her rocking sensations, saw them as 'danger' and locked her psyche and her body into a fear-anxiety-symptom loop. Thanks to resources and trainings through Dr. Yonit Arthur, AuD and Howard Schubiner, MD, my daughter is on her path to recovery. I have trained in Nervous System Reset and Pain Reprocessing Therapy to aid others suffering from chronic pain and/or dizziness that has no medical cause.
Ketamine is a psychedelic medicine that offers a ray of hope for people who struggle with treatment-resistant depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Ketamine brings on a glutamate surge in the brain, which stimulates the growth of new neural connections, creating healthy new brain routes. This process, known as neuroplasticity, may help to alleviate symptoms of depression and improve mood. I have trained under and partner with Dr. Geeta Arora of Precision Breakthrough Medicine. I also work with clients for pre- and post-integration who undergo infusions at Ketamine clinics of their choosing, or whose primary therapist is not KAP trained.
Courtesy of Bruce Hersey, LCSW, Approved IFS Consultant
Lower Westchester County, New York
Offering Both Virtual & In Person Sessions (914) 935-7983 OR (914) 380-8468 danielle@daotherapy.com
By Appointment Only
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