Daniel Ferland
I'm a clinical psychologist with over 16 years of experience working within the Department of Veterans Affairs providing individual outpatient psychotherapy to those from a variety of backgrounds who have different identities, orientations, and spiritual beliefs. I specialize in working with individuals who have exposure to trauma, general anxiety or depression, obsessive-compulsive difficulties, problems with relating to others, and those who have struggled with severe and persistent mental illness. My approach tends to be integrative, combining elements of standard Cognitive-Behavioral, Psychoanalytic (insight-oriented), Interpersonal, and Experiential strategies., and I also incorporate clinical hypnosis to enhance the effectiveness of the work we do together.
First session
Coming to the therapy for the first time can be an anxiety-inducing experience. In the first 2-3 sessions, I endeavor to create an atmosphere that fosters warmth, emotional safety, trust, and collaboration. In these first few sessions we are simply trying to get to know each other. I tend to ask questions in the beginning about the problems you are experiencing, how I might be able to help with those problems, and take a history, including both events from the past and current life disposition, which helps me organize my thought processes around what may be contributing to your problems and how I can best be of service to you.
Strengths
I take a collaborative, curious, and reflective approach to therapy with an interpersonal stance that has been described as warm, inviting, and gentle. I view my role as one to help you discover your own answers in order for you to develop the confidence you need so that you can move in the direction you most value for your life.
Ideal clients
The type of client that would be a good fit for my approach and style is one that generally prefers unstructured, reflective dialogue, as opposed to one wanting structured homework assignments, as well as those who have a focus on addressing problems with depression, anxiety, self-esteem, relationship difficulties, and/or trauma. Ideally, but certainly not required, is someone who has a fair idea about what they would like to pursue in therapy and is generally open to back-and-forth discussion.
Origin story
I was inspired to become a psychologist after having my own experiences in psychotherapy throughout adolescence and young adulthood. These experiences prompted questions about what factors contribute to various psychological problems, why some people experience them and others do not, and how to best work towards resolving them. My experiences were such that I desired to provide similar opportunities: the hope and reality that the way one thinks and feels the direction of one's life do not have to remain stuck - that change in these areas can happen and that life can be more fulfilling.
Ongoing work together
Ongoing therapy sessions will likely take the form of reflective dialogue where the client is asked to bring topics of discussion to therapy. During these sessions I may ask or challenge you to experiment with looking at your perceptions, situation, or relationship in a different way. We might also discuss behavioral experiments that you might try outside of the therapy session, and I may incorporate the use of guided imagery or hypnosis as more structured interventions if they feel warranted and are desired. I will frequently check in with you to assess how you are feeling and whether you believe you are making progress in resolving the issues for which you sought therapy. Progress can be measured in terms of changes you observe in how you are feeling about yourself or your relationships or specific behavioral changes that you are making. Assessment of progress might also incorporate the use of psychological screeners that can more objectively track the course of mood over time.
Treatment methods
Psychodynamic
The primary approach I use is Schema Therapy, which integrates strategies across cognitive-behavioral, psychodynamic, and experiential modalities. What this means is that I help clients examine how they perceive themselves and their relationships and how they respond to these perceptions to reinforce unwanted patterns in their thinking and/or relationships. Sometimes these patterns arise from unmet emotional and psychological needs in childhood or other sources of trauma. This approach works to identify what needs were not met and assist the client in healing from the wounds that were created as a result, as well as how to meet these needs more effectively in their current life.
Location
In-person sessions2024 Cherry Hill Dr, Columbia, MO 65203, Suite 201-L
Identifies as
Top specialties
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Licensed in
- MissouriLicense 2011006690