Hi I'm Dana!
Welcome to Haven before the Harvest! I’m passionate about walking alongside clients as they navigate life’s challenges, helping them feel empowered, reassured, and hopeful. I specialize in supporting children and young adults in processing difficult emotions, healing from trauma, and building on their strengths. I earned both my bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Social Work from Baylor University, and for the past five years, I’ve had the privilege of helping young people develop the tools they need to manage overwhelming experiences and thrive.
Wholehearted Purpose
I strive to embrace my life and work with courage and humility, honoring the experiences, values, and intrinsic worth of myself and others. I believe that making a positive difference, even for just one person, contributes to the greater good. My work is driven by listening, wondering, sharing, challenging, and laughing. I aim to live fully and help others do the same, being present through both life’s joys and challenges. My commitment is to approach each moment with curiosity, authenticity, and vulnerability.
To me, authenticity and vulnerability mean allowing room for creative expression, play, adventure, and exploration. I aim to navigate life’s lessons and opportunities for growth with courage and openness. In this way, I hope to strengthen my connection with myself, others, and the universe, and to support others in deepening these connections as well. This vision guides my purpose in both my personal and professional life.
I earned my Bachelor’s in Social Work from Baylor University in 2020 and my Master’s in Clinical Social Work in 2021. During my senior year, I worked closely with children in the foster care system—an area I remain connected to in my current practice. In graduate school, I interned at the Heart of Texas Behavioral Health Network’s shelter for runaway and homeless youth and worked as a Research Assistant on a federally funded grant focused on improving services for homeless youth in McLennan and surrounding counties. I’m deeply grateful for the education and fieldwork I experienced at Baylor, which laid a strong foundation for the values and clinical approach I bring to my work today.
I have received specialized training in the following therapeutic modalities:
- Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Certified
- Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)
- Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality (CAMS)
- Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI)
- Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)
I bring over five years of diverse mental health experience to my practice, with a deep commitment to delivering compassionate care and continually refining my clinical skills. My professional background includes working with youth and adults transitioning into housing programs, as well as providing school-based support to K–12 students navigating academic, emotional, and behavioral challenges. I have specialized in helping school-aged children and young adults process grief, explore identity, and adjust to major life changes. Over time, I have expanded my work to include providing care on an intensive outpatient basis, where I support clients in higher acuity settings. This shift has deepened my understanding of the importance of wraparound services and a systemic approach to care, particularly for individuals navigating complex trauma, family dynamics, and significant mental health challenges. My clinical experience spans a range of issues including anxiety, depression, complex trauma, family dynamics, suicidal ideation, attachment issues, and behavioral concerns.
My therapeutic approach is relational, flexible, and client-centered. I strive to meet each client where they are—whether that’s in their home, within their community, or in my office—offering care that feels accessible and affirming. I believe healing happens in the context of connection, and my services are tailored to the unique strengths, needs, and goals of each individual. My aim is to create a safe and collaborative space where clients feel seen, supported, and empowered to grow.
A Few Things That Make Me, Me
Song on repeat: II Most Wanted by Beyoncé and Miley Cyrus
Go-to Austin spots:Artipasta, Saps, and Micklethwait’s BBQ
Energized by: Sunrise hikes with my doggo, Ruthie
