Hey hey y'all! I'm Dara and a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor with five years of experience, I specialize in helping individuals from all walks of life, ranging from young children to adults. My current work as a school-based therapist allows me to focus on children from Pre-K to 5th grade, where I am passionate about guiding students through challenges and helping them develop emotional and social resilience. I also hold a certificate in play therapy, which I integrate into my work with children to provide them with an engaging, therapeutic space to express themselves. In addition to my work with children, I have experience supporting clients through significant life transitions, such as the move from high school to college or from college to the workforce. I also work with women navigating relationship challenges and building self-esteem. As someone who is neurodivergent, I have a personal understanding of the unique challenges that come with neurodiversity, and I am committed to helping others develop strategies for managing these challenges in their lives. I strive to create a warm, supportive environment where clients can explore their thoughts and feelings and work toward their goals with confidence and self-compassion.

What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?

In our first session, we will go over paperwork/any questions you may have and the limits to continentality. I call this "house keeping". Each session will have a small "house keeping" moment for scheduling, going over filled out assessments that were given between sessions, and billing. Once the house keeping is complete during our first session, I will ask about what brings you to therapy. We will discuss what you would like to get out of therapy, talk about any past therapy history, any medicines being taken, and to lighten, sometimes, an extremely intense session, we will discuss what makes you unique such as hobbies and your favorite things in the world. I will discuss some of my therapies used and collaborate with you on what you feel comfortable doing while giving my professional opinion. I take a person centered approach and will have you to set some goals you would like to accomplish in therapy as your homework. We will work together to create a treatment plan and collaboratively check-in as we continue building the therapist relationship. Therapy is time and money that I don't want to waste for either of us. I wholeheartedly believe in the power of therapy and have seen it be life changing.

Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.

I provide a safe space to be unapologetically you. I'm a hype girl. I feel as though I am strong at building rapport and I take professionalism very seriously. I am fun and quirky but understand that there is a time/place for that and a time/place for seriousness, listening, validating, helping clients take accountability (No enabling here), having hard conversations, and sometimes telling an adult client or guardian of child client what they might not want to hear. Growth often times comes from uncomfortably.

Describe the client(s) you are best positioned to serve.

I love working with clients of all walks of life. I genuinely enjoy how the human mind works and what makes a person who they are. Adult clients that allow themselves to be honest and vulnerable get the most benefit from our work together. For children clients, I utilize play therapy and bibliotherapy with some talk therapy. I collaborate well with guardians, teaching them skills that are discussed during the session so that they can be used in the home as well as providing psychoeducation and resources. Play therapy is extremely beneficial for building rapport and the child communicating with a trusted adult when they do not have cognitive ability to think abstractly, hindering their communication. Play is a child's language and toys are their words. Unfortunately for the children I see, as well as the the adults, there is no magic wand that "fixes" every issues that gets brought up. Therapy is a process and as an adult client or a caregiver of a child, it is important to understand that. Therapy works but it is not quick nor easy but it is oh so worth it.

About Dara Davis