About Me

Hi there! My name is Dan, and I’m a social worker by profession. I was a psychology and human development major in my undergraduate degree, and pursued my master’s in social work after working within the mental health field for 7 years. I have a diverse background within individual and couples work, clinical research, and advocacy. I deeply value individual’s lived experiences, narrative, and actualizing with themselves and healing through chosen and shared community. As someone who is neurodivergent and part of the LGBTQ community, I value working with these populations and understanding the beautifully unique parts of self that make up who we are.

Therapeutic Approach

I use a combination of emotion-focused therapy, humanistic and strengths-based foundations, and combine cognitive practices and somatic work. I am deeply experimental and relational within my work, and will cater our work to who you are as a person, how you view the world and honoring your narrative while directly utilizing curiosity as a foundational tool for exploration and beneficial change. As a social justice warrior, I also value understanding how systems of oppression, ableism, heteronormativity, neurotypical presumptions, capitalism, patriarchy and other systemic barriers individually impact our understanding and expression of self, as well as the ability to meaningfully connect with others. Additionally, I value depathologization as a therapeutic practice, recognizing specific symptoms that one may experience while also allowing idiosyncrasies to exist, ultimately to remove self-blame of holding a diagnosis.  I also am a firm believer in adding glimmers of joy into life where possible through hobbies and interests, understanding how to take care of your body through intentional movement, and building a deeper connection to the self. I specialize in working with neurodivergent and LGBTQ populations, various forms of trauma, anxiety, and depression, with the intention of understanding the self non-judgmentally and build a life you deem worth pursuing.

---

Credentials & Experience

I hold a master’s in social work from the University of Pittsburgh, and have additional training experience in EFT. I have a vast and eclectic background, with over three years of therapeutic experience as an individual/couples therapist, as well as a behavioral consultant. I have worked within child-protective services as a case manager and advocate. Lastly I have worked as a clinical research specialist which prioritized understanding and supporting executive functioning, neurodivergence, improving socio-emotional intelligence and literacy.

---

Outside the Office

When I’m not in the office, I enjoy spending time and deepening my relationships with my community through shared experiences (hiking, live music, video games, travelling). I am also currently active with the Portland Immigration Rights Coalition, supporting my community members and actively volunteering in forest stewardship events, protecting and maintaining local parks for myself and future generations. I am also passionate about health literacy and am currently studying to become a licensed personal trainer and nutrition counselor, connecting the mind, body, and ways we fuel ourselves holistically.

I am supervised by  Rushini Jayawardena, LCSW