Dana Dalba
I believe therapy works best when you can show up exactly as you are — messy thoughts, quirky interests, big feelings, awkward humor, and all. As a neurodiverse therapist myself, I understand what it can feel like to navigate a world that often expects people to think, feel, and function in very specific ways. My goal is to create a space where clients feel genuinely accepted, understood, and safe enough to unmask and be themselves without fear of judgment. I grew up in Hawaii, and that upbringing shaped the way I connect with people — with warmth, openness, humor, and a strong belief in the importance of relationships and community. Before becoming a therapist, I worked in special education, which deepened my passion for supporting neurodiverse children, teens, adults, and families in ways that honor their strengths rather than trying to “fix” who they are. I’m also a mom to two energetic boys, so I understand firsthand the chaos, beauty, exhaustion, and constant learning that comes with parenting and family life. Outside of therapy, you can usually find me practicing yoga, spending time with my bulldogs, or trying to balance self-care with the realities of everyday life. In therapy, I strive to be real, collaborative, and compassionate. I love working with clients who feel different, overwhelmed, emotionally exhausted, misunderstood, or stuck trying to fit into expectations that don’t truly work for them. Whether you’re navigating anxiety, ADHD, autism, trauma, parenting stress, emotional regulation, or life transitions, I want therapy to feel like a place where you can breathe a little easier and feel more connected to who you really are.
First session
In the first session I like to focus on helping my clients feel comfortable enough to exhale a little and realize they do not have to “perform” therapy correctly. I pay attention to the client’s pace and energy while I allow space for clients to warm up naturally and communicate in ways that feel safe to them.
Strengths
My strengths are a combination of authenticity, lived understanding, clinical knowledge, and nervous-system-level warmth that clients feel when they are with me. I strive to be the kind of therapist where clients feel deeply accepted while also slowly learning how to accept themselves.
Ideal clients
People often come to me feeling exhausted from trying to fit into a world that was not designed with their brains, emotions, or experiences in mind. I enjoy working with neurodiverse clients, including individuals with ADHD, autism, sensory differences, anxiety, and other unique ways of thinking and processing the world. Many of my clients are intelligent, creative, caring people who have spent years masking, overcompensating, or feeling misunderstood while trying to meet more “typical” expectations at school, work, in relationships, or within their families. My ideal client is someone who wants support understanding themselves more deeply without feeling judged or pressured to become someone they are not. Together, we work to build practical coping skills, emotional regulation, self-acceptance, healthier communication patterns, and systems that fit the client rather than forcing the client to fit unrealistic standards. I strive to create a supportive and affirming environment where clients can feel safe exploring their challenges, strengths, identity, and goals at their own pace. I believe therapy should focus not only on symptom reduction, but also on helping people build a life that feels sustainable, meaningful, and authentic to who they are.
Treatment methods
Eclectic
I practice a few different modalities with a mix of Person Centered and CBT with a bit of somatic mixed in.
Location
Virtual sessions
Identifies as
Other specialties
Doesn't specialize in
Licensed in
- MissouriLicense 2025039181