Daniela is accepting new clients!

Hi, I’m Daniela (she/her), and I’m so thrilled to be on the team here at Out of the Woods. Originally from the Midwest, I fell in love with mountains the first time I saw them and have lived here in Asheville for over 10 years now. I came to this work after a career as an academic translator and as a lifelong worker in the food service industry. I like to joke that, strangely enough, these two experiences were ideal preparation for becoming a therapist, since all three involve helping people discover and find the words for what they want, and want to say.

Before training as a therapist, my educational background was in philosophy and anthropology. I have worked for nearly 20 years as a freelance French-to-English translator of academic texts in the social and human sciences and have served as a volunteer interpreter for asylum seekers from French-speaking countries in Africa. Living and translating between multiple languages and cultures has given me a knack for questioning the things we take for granted and a long-standing habit of widening perspectives.

Through my experience and training, I have come to see therapy as a place of both learning and unlearning; a place to explore and challenge our own assumptions and self-limiting beliefs about ourselves and the world and to create new possibilities. I believe that for this to unfold in a safe and healing manner, the relationship of trust, empathy, and understanding that develops between a therapist and client is foundational. In my work with clients, I aim to cultivate such connection by communicating respect, openness, and a willingness to walk alongside you wherever your path leads. I also see playfulness, laughter, and occasional just plain silliness as equally necessary to the therapeutic process. Change and growth are hard and can be terrifying, and parts of us will resist them; together, we will explore this dynamic, and, I hope, have some fun along the way.

In my sessions, I draw on principles from mindfulness practices and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in order to help clients find space and breathing room between themselves and their thoughts, feelings, and habitual responses. From there, it becomes possible to cultivate choice, self-compassion, and an openness to new experiences and meanings.

I enjoy working with adults of all ages seeking greater connection to themselves, the world, and their values and potential. I am particularly dedicated to working with older adults and to combatting the harmful effects of ageism within society and the field of mental health. I am passionate about the capacity we each have to grow, change, and overcome the limitations we start out from, and it would be my honor to support and accompany you on your journey.

Daniela is accepting new clients!

daniela@outofthewoodstherapy.com

Daniela can accept most Aetna, Optum/United, Medcost or BCBS insurance plans (and is a CPP provider for the NC BCBS state plan).

The private pay fee is $140 for 50-55 minute individual therapy sessions.

If you would like to know more about using insurance or out-of-network benefits, please click here.