DK Therapy has grown in the past few months and we would like to give you the opportunity to get to know a little more about our therapists, what challenges their clients face, and what it would be like to work with them.
At DK, we focus on your comfort within the therapy office. We hope that knowing a bit about your therapist before your first visit, helps you make a connection even before meeting them.
Without further ado…
What experiences have brought you to the helping profession?
Dana Norden:
Two things brought me to work as a helping professional.
One of my earliest memories was going to volunteer with my mom at our local soup kitchen on the holidays. It was something that we did every year as a family, and it left a big impression on me. I was raised in a family that was very Catholic, and both sets of my grandparents were immigrants from Europe. They relied on help from the Catholic Church and other social service institutions in order to make it in America. I don’t always agree with the politics of the Catholic Church, but the importance of giving back has always stuck with me.
Dana Norden, LSW
The other major factor was that my mother was diagnosed with terminal breast cancer and died when I was 10 years old. My father, much to his credit, had me meet with a child psychologist weekly from the ages of 10 to 18. Dr. Linda helped me work through my grief, normalized what I was feeling, and was a constant source of encouragement for me. She always used to say, “Dana, the sky’s the limit!” And that is what has led me down this career path.
Why do you think it’s important for people to participate in therapy?
Dana Norden:
I think that it is important for people to participate in therapy, even if they haven’t gone through traumatic events in their lives. Everyone at some point has felt not good enough, misunderstood, or just different. It’s important to talk about those feelings, process them, and know you are not alone in feeling this way. Therapy can help clients gain some skills and understanding as to how to tackle emotional obstacles that will cross their path in the future.
What is a therapy session like with you?
Dana Norden:
A therapy session with me is typically divided into two parts. The first part is checking in with the client and gaining an understanding of what has been coming up for them throughout the week. We discuss whatever issues are on their mind.
The second part is me providing skills and tools to the client in order to help them reconstruct their lives as they see fit. Some of these tools include:
- yoga and breathing exercises
- CBT/ACT strategies to help with cognitive reframing
- IFS approaches for dealing with trauma
- Gottman tools for communication and increasing emotional intimacy
Each has the potential to increase your resilience and psychological flexibility.
