Therapists in Salunga, PA

Over my 30 years of experience, I have seen that when clients reach out for therapy, it is a sign of strength and a willingness to change. I view counseling as a partnership between the client and myself, and help each client learn a new skill set that enables them to grow through life's challenges. I provide a non-judgmental and calming environment, with a focus on mindfulness. A holistic approach is used, which recognizes the importance of addressing body, mind, emotions, and spirit in order to achieve and maintain health. I am a safe, neutral sounding board for clients, which allows them to learn, grow, and heal.

Accepting new clients! I help people overcome difficulty and use it to grow and pursue a life of meaning and purpose. Sometimes we start by treating stress, anxiety, depression, trauma, career, or LGBTQ+ and other identity issues, and over time turn to deeper issues about the life you want to create, your identity, and your values. I’m a humanistic counselor, which means I’ll never tell you what to do and I’ll always empower you to make the choice that’s best for you. I use a collaborative, gentle approach that helps you connect with your intuitive sense of self and your intrinsic motivation to grow and do difficult things.

Finding the right support is important. It takes courage to seek help when you are hurting. Perhaps life has brought you challenges and transitions that feel overwhelming, My goal is to meet you where you are and provide a warm and collaborative environment in which you are supported, cared for, and seen. I can provide you with tools to help rebalance your life so that you can move forward with confidence and clarity. Together let’s create the beautiful story of the life your heart knows is possible. Give me a call and let's find out if we are a good fit.

To help others, I believe that three traits are essential: competence, caring, and integrity. I continuously hone my competence by updating my skills and keeping up with developments in my field. In addition, I put a strong emphasis on personal growth and cultivating my relationships with others, believing that by living a full and meaningful life, I have more to offer my clients. I care deeply about my clients, admire their strengths, cheer their victories, and resonate with their disappointments. In terms of integrity, I commit to an approach that is kind, straight-forward,and respectful.

Many of us wrestle to find hope in our lives, move forward, or just make it through the day. Depression, anxiety, relationship concerns, and loss can take away motivation, causing struggle and suffering. This can change. Perhaps you're determining which life path to take or are dealing with past trauma, abuse, or painful memories. You don't have to carry this weight alone. I provide an unbiased, nonjudgmental space for adults to explore what is hindering them and overcome obstacles in healthy, ways.

You made it here! Getting to the point where you finally make a connection and start feeling some relief from your burdens, it's a lot. If you schedule with me, you will find that I'm an open, honest person who creates a warm, safe space for you to explore anything and everything that brought you here. I help people untangle their suffering from their daily lives.

Welcome to the next step of your journey! One of the most challenging decisions is to seek help and take action to heal ourselves. Taking action, looking deeply and deliberately at ourselves isn't an easy task. Without doing so, nothing changes. Dayna truly believes that every individual deserves to find lasting happiness that comes from within. No one can do this for another. Instead, it is a commitment to oneself. Whether the goal is personal growth, repairing relationships, or overcoming addiction, each person is capable of making the changes necessary to actualize their fullest potential.

Many of my clients have come to me after being diagnosed fully believing that their lives were over. Mental health issues do not define who you are as a person. They are just a small part of why we react in particular situations, in specific ways. I have a passion to help my clients and their families to discover not only how to overcome their mental health issues, but to thrive despite their mental health issues.

We move through institutions of power our entire lives. First, family, then we form friends at school, fall in love in college, maybe grow close to others in religious communities. Along the way, we encounter experiences that enable us to become more of our authentic selves. Sometimes, these experiences are less than ideal, other times, these experiences are more traumatizing than we originally thought. Depression, anxiety, insomnia, are a few things that manifest and these are the PTSD-related symptoms that I specialize in.

While other programs claim to be 'trauma-informed', our practice revolves entirely around trauma therapy. This is what we do best. The Phoenix Center for Experiential Trauma Therapy is named after the legendary figure of the phoenix that dies and is reborn from its own ashes – it is a symbol of transformation and resilience. The phenomenon of growing after experiencing trauma has been labeled “Post-Traumatic Growth”. This is exactly what we help our clients cultivate in their lives. While we cannot change the past, we can change how past experiences live within us Low-Cost Options Available with Our Graduate Interns

Your pain deserves space to breathe and be heard. Your authentic self deserves tending to. Being human is hard work. In the limited time we exist, we have countless choices to make as we shape the direction and purpose of our lives. In our struggles, perhaps we may feel phony, unsure of ourself, pressured to hide or distort our feelings and thoughts. We may feel paralyzed when trying to make the “right” decisions. We may feel deeply isolated, unable to sustain relationships where we are cherished exactly as we are. We may be haunted by past traumas and unable to forgive. Or we may wonder about our life's meaning.

Have you lost heart? Are you feeling anxious, angry, guilty, embarrassed, or invisible? Are you haunted by a loss or trauma you thought you'd gotten past? Are you discouraged by your own or others' ideas about who, how, and where you ought to be at this time in your life? Are you hiding habits, shying away from help for fear of judgment? Do you feel uneasy in social situations? Do the news headlines leave you hopeless? Do you feel stuck and crave more meaning in work and relationships? Are you smiling for all and screaming inside? How you truly feel matters very much. Suffering is wisdom waiting; being with it changes everything.

Clients who will benefit more from working with me are complex, sensitive persons and couples going through some kind of life transition, or some relational or existential crisis, who want to understand themselves better, integrate the many sides of their identity, "own" their experiences, and reflect about their life course and ways of being and relating. Also persons willing to heal from trauma, to build resiliency and unleash post-traumatic growth. I have lived in Europe, Africa and USA, and have developed an expertise in immigration, acculturation, and international and transnational identities and experiences.

We all have times in our life when we face struggle, frustration, anguish, and tragedy. These times, while painful and seemingly bleak, can also offer opportunities for profound growth. These times can be used to look within, gain more self-understanding, nurture our resilience, strengthen our confidence, and make choices to better align ourselves with the life we seek to live. By engaging in therapy, you can process your thoughts and emotions; obtain insight and guidance; and define the life you choose to live. With time and effort, you can grow into your unique and beautiful self.

We are constantly transitioning and struggling with life experiences and relationships. Whether it is frustrations due to family or work interactions, or the grief and sadness that follows the death of a loved one, day to day life can be difficult to manage. When we learn how to manage our emotions, discuss what is making us uncomfortable, and work through a major life change, we can make the day to day more manageable. You are not alone in your struggles, and I hope to assist in your journey to making your life less stressful and more fulfilling. Please visit my website, linked above, for more information and scheduling.

I work for The Center For Growth, treating everything from mental health to sex and relationship issues. I can help you manage thing like anxiety and depression as we explore and understand complex emotions in a safe space and find healthy and effective ways to express and release those feelings. We can immerse ourselves in exploration of your past as we make connections and gain understanding of how old patterns show up for you today. Or we can focus on the here and now, identifying what behaviors and thoughts are no longer serving you so you can create new goals that support your growth, in whatever way feels right to you.

I enjoy working with people who are often considered outsiders, those challenge the established norms of our society, in their pursuit of a more holistic future for themselves and our world. This includes activists, educators, artists, fellow mental health professionals, writers, musicians, and those who live in ways unique to themselves. A throughline of my work revolves around the realm of disabilities, many of which remain unrecognized by others. I believe that disability advocacy requires working through issues of power, autonomy, social inequality, and environment.

In my experience, inside every person there is a psychological center, like a ‘Light’ leading us to love, healing, joy and growth. In a deep place in each of us, it is always present, though sometimes hidden. Known by many different names and through many different senses - center, core, soul, real-self, heart or unconscious, it is wise and kind and delights to do no harm, and intends only good. We all have a longing to connect to this profound potential, goodness and love within ourselves, within others and in all. I enjoy supporting folks in their journey back to this connection.

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who has experience treating depression, anxiety and trauma. I work with children, teens and adults. I hope to foster an environment where you can feel safe and open to express your thoughts, feelings and experiences, and work on learning new and healthier ways to express and cope with your emotions and stressors. At this time I am not accepting new clients who require appointments after 4pm, and can only accept new clients who have day time availability. If you have an allergy or fear of dogs, please let me know as I often have a therapy dog in my office.