Rated 4.9 stars out of 5, 55 ratings

Jeff Danese

LPCC, 15 years of experience

Intelligent
Open-minded
Authentic

About me

Ex-professor, ex-monk, and ex-ex-pat with over 15 years of clinical experience licensed in both Washington (LMHC) and California (LPCC) but living in Sacramento where I provide mental health counseling, group psychotherapy, couples counseling, psychedelic integration, consultations, mindfulness coaching, and personalized intensive residential retreats or rehab for anyone (over 16 y. o.) sincerely seeking help to achieve personal goals and to live a better life. After 4 years of international experience, over 10 years of graduate school, and another 10 years teaching at SJSU in Psychology and Comparative Religious Studies, I have returned now to my original professional mental health practice.

Get to know me

In our first session together, here's what you can expect

First sessions are ideally a friendly and casual exploration of the issues or problems that you are seeking assistance with. Acknowledging the inevitable strangeness and riskiness that anyone works through just to get to that first session -- because it takes courage to trust a stranger, right? It takes courage to do self-work, to look inside; it takes courage to change. So my job is to listen to you, to attend, to pay attention, and maybe to inquire, wonder together, reflect on what I hear, summarize, and keep listening, reflecting, summarizing until you are convinced that I get you -- at least get enough to get to the next session, because I will also need to understand some broad contours of your background, your life, and the circumstances within which we will both be working, and that usually takes longer than just one session.

The biggest strengths that I bring into our sessions

Having lived and travelled around the world, I am comfortable with a wide variety of people and faith traditions, and want anyone in need to feel completely at ease and comfortable in my care and practice. Having been around a few blocks, you can count on my empathetic and honest dialogue within a broadly humanistic and person-centered framework.

The clients I'm best positioned to serve

LGBTQI (with some exception, see below); military, ex-military, police, or security; government, non-profit or public service; artists, activists (social justice-, political-, eco-, & peace-activists); ex-pats & international development; religiously discordant families/couples, religious conflict, de-conversion, & religious abuse; anyone experiencing existential crisis, loss of meaning in life, spiritual emergency, or moral injury.

Specialties

Top specialties

Other specialties

ADHDAddictionAnger ManagementAnxietySelf EsteemTrauma and PTSD

I identify as

Man

Serves ages

My treatment methods

Acceptance and commitment (ACT)

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy closely aligns with my personal experience as a Buddhist practitioner of almost 40 years, with clients’ need for practical solutions and skills, and with the existential challenges we all face as humans: why do we suffer? What is the purpose of my life? Or what does death mean to me?

Location

Virtual
Rated 4.9 stars out of 5, 55 ratings

4 ratings with written reviews

August 15, 2025

easy going and easy to talk to. looking forward to more sessions.

Verified client, age 35-44

Review shared after session 1 with Jeff

June 24, 2025

Jeff is a very nice understanding therapist I would definitely recommend him

Verified client, age 35-44

Review shared after session 14 with Jeff

June 17, 2025

Jeff has been exactly what I was looking for in a therapist. Someone with a rich and deep history and understanding of Buddhist, Hindu and Eastern philosophy, mixed with a psychotherapeutic background. Couldn't be happier to be working with him!

Verified client, age 35-44

Review shared after session 19 with Jeff