a different kind of therapy for sensitive and queer folks, chronic illness, and complex trauma in Seattle, WA and throughout Washington state
i’m glad you’re here!
If you are sensitive, queer, chronically ill, struggle with the lingering impacts of trauma, or otherwise feel “other,” I am here to help you discover your own worth, beauty, and power - and improve your quality of life in the ways that matter most to you.
Those of us that experience the world in a highly sensitive way, as well as those who go through unsupportive or dangerous childhoods (or both) can go through a unique set of challenges, including:
-A deep sense of loneliness, isolation or disconnection
-A deep sense of shame, broken-ness, defectiveness
-Big, heavy, pervasive depression
-A constant, tireless effort to “fix” ourselves
-Identity confusion - not knowing who really are
-Emotional intensity that feels overwhelming to manage
-Constant vigilance and feelings of unsafety
-Autoimmunity, soft tissue dysfunction, and/or fatigue
-Challenges building and maintaining fulfilling relationships
Sound familiar? Same.
Okay….so what can this sort of therapy with you do about it?
I’ll start by sharing that I believe two things:
1) Each of us has our own unique magic. Some call this soul. Our own fingerprint, our own unique way of seeing things and moving through the world that is by its innate nature marvelous and necessary.
2) We all belong in the family of the world. No matter how strange or weird we are, no matter what we’ve done or what’s happened to us - we all belong.
Trauma survivors are robbed of their opportunity to develop the confidence, pride, and ease in living life as their true selves. They are forced into settling for a fragmented sense of safety and self - an unimaginable bind that comes with so many long-term challenges. (I have been there, too and know these challenges well.)
Therapy with me is about learning to deeply honor how you’ve survived thus far. Your survival strategies have been brilliant, even if they are no longer serving you. It’s about developing a relationship where you get to experience all parts of you being met with acceptance, curiosity, and attunement - maybe for the first time. More than anything, I want our work to help you feel like you are not broken - that you are wise, immaculate, and inherently worthy of the connection and ease that all humans deserve. I believe this to my core.
I lean on attachment-based, somatic, liberation-oriented, ecopagan, and transpersonal tools and paradigms, but mostly, I lean into my authentic human-ness and the information that the human being sitting in front of me is giving me.
If these words resonate with you and you find yourself in the middle of the struggle, I would love to hear from you.
About Me
Hi, I’m Danny! Thanks for being here. I’m a full heart on my sleeve type of person (and therapist). I bring a lot of my authentic human-ness to this work. I love balancing a passion for clinical excellence with a personable, and heart-centered therapeutic style. I am tender, sturdy, earnest to my core, and quirky. I love people, animals, plants, and the world. I believe in us.
I came to work in the mental health field over ten years ago via the peer support world and the incredible work of the Wildflower Alliance. I owe a lot of my development as a human to this time. (As an aside, please support Wildflower and all of the beautiful work they’re doing!)
I was born into an incredibly sensitive body-mind, and I grew up in an environment that had no idea what to do with me. My body, already carrying so much ancestral trauma, took on the heartbreaking experiences of abuse during my most formative years. I struggled immensely as a young person with suicidality and self-harm. It took me a really long time to find my footing; it was via spaces where others “got it” without trying to “fix me” that I was able to begin healing.
And this is the underlying philosophy I hold for all of us: that, when we are in environments that love and accept our true Self, that welcome our depth and our quirk and our messy uniqueness, that lovingly see the pain underneath our defenses, we know innately how to heal. Your true Self in all of its bigness, quirkiness, and beauty will not only be welcomed, but deeply celebrated here.
I graduated with a Master’s Degree in Social Work in 2020 and have been a licensed therapist in Washington State since 2022. My style is gentle, loving, sturdy, and adaptable. I think I’m very funny, but you can ultimately be the judge of that. My promise to you is that I’m here with you for your healing arc- all of its messy ups and downs, all of its silly and sweet moments and painstaking heartbreaks. I’ll hold a steady, confident hand as you move towards the life you dream about.
Some other things I call myself beside a politicized healer include: tender heart, poet, musician, flowerchild, wandering soul, and sports girl. I am a white, nonbinary, queer, and polyamorous Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) who lives with chronic autoimmunity, fatigue, and Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS). I love italics if you haven’t already figured this out, because I love The Drama!! I have many years of prior experience in the peer support, political organizing, and nonprofit management spaces.
Here’s my current media (I try to update this as much as possible!)
Music: Night Owl Envies the Mourning Dove by Caitlin Canty, Seven Days Walking by Ludivico Einaudi, Stuck by Like Roses
Books: The Body is a Doorway by Sophie Strand, Anam Cara by John O’Donahue, The Creative Act by Rick Rubin
TV: Patiently awaiting new seasons of The Pitt and Shrinking
My Approach
We all have a soul of brilliance, and we all belong in the family of the world.
My work always comes back to these two beliefs. I embody them deeply, which I hope you will be able to feel when you sit with me.
If we are raised in and continue to live in environments that encourage and support us to experiment and discover who we really are, we tend to grow well into who we are. We feel good about ourselves. We navigate life’s difficulties with an underlying belief in ourselves. We have compassion for our hardships, ask for help, and set appropriate boundaries.
However, if we are raised in or live in unsupportive, unsafe, disengaged, or oppressive environments, we often have to sacrifice our own senses of self-worth or innate belonging to be safe or get our basic needs met. This trade-off has tremendous consequences - feelings of not-good-enough-ness, unbelonging, and danger get etched into our bones.
My most important responsibility is to help you come back to these two original truths - not just to know them in your head, but to feel them in your belly, in your bones, in the boom of your laugh and the echo of your song.
AEDP & Relational Healing
AEDP (Accelerated Experiental Dynamic Psychotherapy) is a lot of letters to say - we heal in relationship. AEDP borrows from attachment theory, experiential therapy, and psychodynamic therapy.
Attachment theory refers to the enormous impact that our earliest caregivers and environments have on our personality development. If our attachment needs are met, health outcomes are generally positive. If they are not - then our health as adults can greatly suffer. Therapy offers an opportunity for corrective attachment experiences.
Experiential therapy is all about your felt sense experience. If someone is raised in an unsupportive environment, it is extremely hard to learn how to sense, feel, and be without getting overwhelmed or shutting down. So, we learn to avoid certain emotions, sensations, or experiences, which often leads to things like depression, anxiety, or chronic illness. Experiential therapy helps you learn how to feel, sense, and experience life in your body without having to turn away or avoid, and without getting overwhelmed.
Psychodynamic therapy is about the dynamic relationship between all parts of our internal world and all parts of our external world. These dynamics are different for everyone.
Somatic Internal Family Systems
Internal Family Systems or “IFS” or “parts work” has gained a lot of popularity in recent years. Before I received advanced training in relational attachment trauma healing via AEDP, IFS, along with several somatic schools of thought, was my foundation. They all weave together really nicely.
Somatics is about being in sync with our bodies as they are. It is about being aware, present with, and responsive to the signals that our bodies are giving us. When we are in resonant relationship with our bodies, we are more able to ask for our needs, be in fulfilling relationships, and be centered in our purpose. An embodied life is a life well-lived. I know for those with trauma histories and sensitivity the body can be a really scary place. I can help with that at the pace that’s just right for you.
IFS is based on the idea that we are all made up of different subpersonalities, or “parts” that have different experiences, desires, emotions, and agendas. When our parts are not in harmony, life can be really hard. I can help you get to know your parts from core You and from doing so, support more of a sense internal peace and authenticity.
But wait: a note about late stage capitalism.
I believe that you “doing your work” is inherently political and is an incredibly important step in moving towards a more loving and just world. I also believe that engaging in a politicized healing arc is how you access a lot more agency in the context of a sociopolitical system consistently attempting to minimize/eliminate your access to agency.
I am deeply aware of the traumatic nature of living in the systems of racialized capitalism. Every experience we go through in life is shrouded by these systems, and they inevitably influence all walks of life, including our personal and interpersonal trauma. I recognize that therapy is just a small microcosm of the larger change needed in our world to address the origins of trauma.
In therapy together, we get to talk about all of these things. Your experiences with racism, transphobia, gender-based violence, classism and ableism will be met with love, curiosity, and a shared desire for justice.
I recognize my privilege in this world as a white, masc-looking, often cis-passing individual and approach clients with less privilege in these areas with a lot of humility. My lived experience of queerness, gender-expansiveness, chronic disability, as well as my working-class upbringing means that I can offer you some level of “getting it” around these identities, but I will not pretend to fully understand your individual experience. I recognize your story is unique and start with no assumptions
My Specialties
Embodied Trauma Healing
If your childhood or later developmental years have left you with lasting wounds, then I have something meaningful to offer you. Trauma work is the cornerstone of my practice; it’s where I find the most fulfillment, and where I have the most to offer. I intimately understand that these wounds can have remarkable and heartbreaking impacts on your life. I am here to support you heal into a new relationship with yourself, your suffering, your dreams, and the world around you.
Most of my professional experience is with complex PTSD, chronic developmental trauma, and chronic childhood emotional neglect, but I do also work with folks around one-time acute traumas and PTSD.
LGBTQIAA+ and Polyamorous Affirming Care
Queerness is brilliance. I’m here to hear about your experiences with not fitting into many of the pre-conceived boxes around us - the pain, the joy, the confusion, and all of the rest that comes with queerness and gender expansiveness. I support folks with gender and sexuality identity exploration. I’m not currently writing gender-affirming surgery letters but please write to me if you do need a referral.
I’m very familiar with the nuances of non-monogamy from personal and professional standpoints. I’ll be able to support you with whatever complex challenges you’re facing in your relationship structures.
Highly Sensitive People/Neurodivergence
If you are a tender heart who feels the world deeply, I want to work with you. From my own experience, I understand the profound challenges that can come from a world that is over-stimulating and “too much.” For those of us that have experienced trauma in a sensitive body-mind, the pain and the healing can feel even more overwhelming. I’m here for you at every step.
I’m also passionate about supporting folks with any flavor of neurodivergence. HSP traits intersect a lot with autism and ADHD and many of the challenges quite similar.
Disconnection and Loneliness
One of the hardest parts of being shunned, mocked, or attacked for being our true selves is that it forces us to hide who we really are to stay safe and connected to family or community. This is a heartbreaking sacrifice that usually involves a very particular type of loneliness and disconnection from the world. My perspective here is that it’s like our truest self is locked away in a room and the loneliness just sort of radiates out from that room.
I’m here to help you remember who you really are and begin experimenting with expression and authenticity in ways that feel just the right amount of scary. The result is liberation of the true Self and connection to loved ones, community, and purpose.
Chronic Illness/Pain
As a longtime spoonie, I’ve gone through the initial periods of shock, denial, and anger, grieved endlessly, and learned a lot about acceptance and accommodation. For some folks, things like chronic fatigue, illness, and pain can be the result of stored trauma, and trauma work over time can ameliorate (or even eliminate, in some cases) these symptoms. But whether or not illness is temporary or lifelong for you, I believe the dharma of those with this path is to realize and embody the nobility of chronic illness. We deserve to be recognized and celebrated extensively. That starts with ourselves. My philosophy with this work is based on self-acceptance, externalizing internalized ableism, and finding meaning in an ill life.
Depression and Anxiety
Depression and anxiety both share the same root (in my view). They both are the result of us not feeling safe to genuinely be ourselves. Anxiety is the buzzy sense of “this emotion that I’m getting close to isn’t safe to feel” while depression is the unavoidable shut down that comes from being trapped, from not being able to express our trueness and live in authenticity. While I recognize the causes of depression and anxiety are complicated and multi-factorial, this is the main approach I take in therapy.
For both depression and anxiety, we will work to make our relationship feel like a safe haven and secure base for the true Self to be known, felt and expressed. As more of this genuine expression arises, depression and anxiety become less present.
Political Organizers and Change-Makers
I have a deep passion for supporting those who do social change work to mend their relationships with themselves and others. Burnout, in-group conflict, or trauma dynamics within groups can often be the foundational piece keeping groups doing really good work stuck where they are.
If you are an organizer, policymaker, or otherwise making a difference in your community and wondering if certain internal dynamics are making things tough for you to connect and move forward, I’d be happy to be of help.
Harm Reduction
Harm reduction is a foundational philosophy for me. I have a long history of supporting and loving folks in harm reduction-oriented spaces. If you are navigating substance use, self-harm, sex work, or other dynamics that the world tends to pathologize and shun, I will welcome you here with open arms.
Whether your intention is just to be seen and heard or to support a change in habit or lifestyle, I won’t make assumptions and will treat you with the dignity you deserve, no matter what.
Psychedelic Preparation and Integration
I believe deeply in the wisdom that psychedelic medicine has to offer us in this life. There are few tools we have available to us that are more potent than these medicines, especially when it comes to our healing. I have much experience supporting folks throughout these experiences in a way that allows for more meaning-making and impactful integration. Applying indigenous perspective to modern day considerations around psychedelics is really important.
Whether you are considering a psychedelic experience, or making your way through the bliss or overwhelm of an integration experience - I am happy to help you exactly where you’re at.
Pricing and Fees
I am considered an “out of network” provider for all insurance companies. I can produce a superbill for you that you can submit to your insurance company for possible reimbursement. I cannot guarantee what you might be reimbursed, so please make sure to check with your insurance company to confirm what your out of network benefits are.
If you have reliable out of network benefits, I highly encourage you to consider choosing a higher price than you might otherwise consider. It supports those without these benefits who are not eligible for any reimbursement.
I use a three-tiered system for pricing based on your financial situation. I ask that you please choose the bracket that best represents your life situation and what you are able to pay to make ongoing therapy sustainable for you. You can choose whichever price within the appropriate bracket feels sustainable for you. Please be in touch with any questions.
This model is based off of the Green Bottle Method. Please see here if you’d like to read more about it.
You can read about the No Surprises Act here. You are entitled to a good faith estimate around how much one year’s worth of our work will cost you.
Living in Financial Abundance
$250-$400
Financially, I can comfortably meet all my basic needs (food, housing, & transportation); any stress I feel about finances is never about meeting my basic needs
Any debt I carry doesn’t keep me from meeting basic needs
I am stably employed, or I am a stay-at-home caregiver not seeking to work outside the home while my partner is stably employed, or I don’t need to work to meet my needs
I own or rent a home that is comfortable and spacious, with modern conveniences
I own or lease my car, and can get a new car every few years if I want to
I have access to healthcare whenever I need it
I have access to savings and can tap it when I need to
I can always buy new items if I want to
I generally have discretionary income and can treat myself to indulgences when I want to
I’m usually able to buy higher-end items if I prefer to
Living in Financial Stability
$200-$225
Financially, I regularly meet all my basic needs (food, housing transportation); any stress I feel about finances isn’t usually about meeting my basic needs
Any debt I carry doesn’t keep me from meeting basic needs
I am stably employed, or I am a stay-at-home caregiver not seeking to work outside the home while my partner is stably employed
I own or rent a home that is comfortable and spacious enough, with modern conveniences
I own or lease a car and can afford gas, or I am car-free by choice
I usually have access to healthcare when I need it
I might have access to some savings I can tap when I am low on funds
I can usually buy new items, though sometimes I need to plan ahead
I have discretionary income sometimes; I can treat myself to a few indulgences every month
I can take a vacation every year or two if I plan ahead
Living in Financial Scarcity (waitlist)
$75-$195
Financially, I often have stress about meeting my basic needs (food, housing, & transportation), and can’t always meet them
I might have debt, which sometimes keeps me from meeting basic needs
I am unemployed, underemployed, or usually worried about my income or my job’s stability
My home lacks space/comfort or modern conveniences, or my housing is unstable
I don’t have a car (not by choice), or I have limited access to a car but I can’t always afford gas
I don’t always have access to the healthcare I need
I don’t have savings I can tap when I am low on funds
I rarely buy new items
I don’t generally have discretionary income to treat myself to indulgences (new clothes, a movie, etc.)
I can’t usually afford vacations
Taking time off is a financial burden or jeopardizes my job
I qualify for some form of public assistance
Be in touch :)
If you’re interested in working together, please write to me and I’ll be happy to connect with for a video consult. Looking forward to hearing from you!