Today we’d like to introduce you to Dana Torres.
Hi Dana, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Gosh, it feels like my story started so long ago. Well, I really began my journey in the field after graduating from Loyola University in Chicago at which time I started facilitating grant-funded emotion regulation and social skills groups in elementary and middle schools back in my hometown of Joliet, Illinois. Then, while I was earning my Master’s degree in Child and Adolescent Counseling Psychology, I began working in the child welfare system providing mental health services to children, adults, and families involved in foster care. This was my first experience working with clients heavily impacted by trauma. I really cherish these early experiences in the field in large part because they gave me the opportunity to provide in-home care. Seeing my clients in their homes and communities offered valuable insight into their lives and the factors that may have been impacting their mental health. On a personal level, this work allowed me to venture outside of my small bubble of generally privileged upbringing and appreciate the diversity of all people and experiences. I feel deep gratitude for this early work in my career and the clients I had the honor to know and support. I still reflect on my clients from this period of time and even draw inspiration from their resilience in overcoming some of the most difficult life experiences one can face.
Upon having my second child in 2014, I entered private practice and quickly realized that so many people have experienced trauma to varying degrees. In hopes of strengthening my ability to help those impacted by trauma, I chose to pursue training in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). Then, in 2018, I took my career, and passion for it, to the next level by starting my own practice. Starting my practice in Illinois was a wild ride. I learned so much and realized what I was made of as I navigated learning how to contract with insurance companies, use an EHR system, work with an unresponsive landlord, and generally just respond to unexpected bumps in the road. Case in point, I literally picked up my business license 20 minutes prior to seeing my first client in my new office!
And wouldn’t you know it, the wild ride continued two years later, while in the midst of COVID, my husband and I decided to move our family to Colorado to provide our children a more active, adventurous lifestyle that we felt wasn’t accessible in Illinois. Transitioning my practice to Colorado was challenging in many ways; however, because COVID had led to the expansion of telehealth services, I was able to continue seeing some of my Illinois clients while I began to build up clientele here in Colorado. I worked solo for the first year and then began to slowly hire other therapists. I now have three amazing therapists who I supervise to varying degrees but also very much see as colleagues from whom I can learn just as much. Most recently, a big accomplishment for me has been completing Level 1 training in an approach called Internal Family Systems (IFS), which has allowed me to grow immensely not only in my role as a therapist, but also in other roles that I fill in my life including that of wife, mother, friend, etc.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The road has been smooth at times and really, really bumpy at others, sometimes feeling more like an unmarked trail through the mountains. One of the bigger challenges I’ve faced has been trying to adopt a business owner mindset. Like many therapists, that’s not where my strengths naturally lie, even though my family would say I’m really good at telling people what to do! I’ve really had to step into a role that can feel quite uncomfortable at times, whether it’s navigating the financial side of the business or even feeling confident enough to give difficult feedback to supervisees. Fortunately, I have trusted colleagues (and a husband who is more finance/business-oriented than myself) who I can lean on for support and guidance in more fully embracing this role.
Another struggle has been trying to build and sustain an insurance-based practice. I deeply value accessibility to quality mental health care and have always felt strongly about ensuring that we accept insurance. At the same time, it can be challenging to grow a practice and keep employees satisfied when facing the limitations that are inherent in partnerships with insurance companies (i.e., contracted rates that are often much lower than practice rates, rates that rarely increase, etc.). As I become more acclimated to my business owner role, I have become more intentional about establishing partnerships with insurance companies that are aligned with the practice’s values and vision for the future. Unfortunately, this can mean ending some insurance contracts and having to navigate a path forward with clients who have that insurance. I definitely feel as though I’m in a difficult and exciting period of growth in which I’m really taking the time to see beyond the day-to-day demands of the business and develop a broader vision for the practice and for the clients we serve.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
This might be a bit long-winded, but I’m going to share our mission statement and some of our values as I believe they are such an accurate depiction of who we are:
Our mission is to help clients at any age gain a better understanding and acceptance of themselves and their internal experience, so they feel empowered to heal and grow from challenging, and sometimes traumatic, life experiences. We aim to guide clients in uncovering their true self so they can experience improved quality of life and greater authenticity in their relationships. We are dedicated to helping clients regain a sense of confidence and peace within themselves so they can freely live and love with intention.
We recognize the strength and hard work required for clients to address the parts of their lives and themselves that they so often try to ignore or forget but never really do, or can. We value the importance of aligning with clients to work through their struggles with grit but also modeling grace and patience when they get lost on this difficult journey. We believe that where clients (and just people in general) are and what they do now are a culmination of life experiences in which they did the best they could, always.
We aim to cultivate a stance of curiosity and non-judgement that allows clients to feel safe sharing all parts of themselves. At the same time, we acknowledge we are human, and we all have biases, preconceived notions, and judgments that are influenced by our experiences in the world. We challenge ourselves to regularly self-reflect and have curiosity about our own beliefs and perspectives so that we can minimize their influence in our work with clients.
We recognize that the client-therapist relationship is a unique one that greatly impacts therapy outcomes. We can easily laugh and share happiness with our clients while also confidently holding space for their sadness, anger, fear, etc. Our clients know that they will receive gentle but direct feedback from their therapist; they will feel challenged but also prepared to address difficult issues. All clients will feel seen, heard, and accepted.
And now a little about our services: DT Counseling has a strong focus on treating trauma and PTSD. I am formally trained in EMDR and IFS and sometimes incorporate other modalities/interventions based in mindfulness, CBT, DBT, etc. What I really love about EMDR and IFS is their versatility; they can be implemented with a wide range of mental health conditions and symptoms. I am very passionate about “digging deeper” with clients, working with them to uncover the core issues or experiences that are contributing to their current struggles. I have received feedback from many clients that these approaches have allowed them to engage with their internal experience in a deeper and more meaningful way than other approaches have been able to. I’ve had the honor to walk alongside clients as they’ve moved from surviving to thriving, experiencing significant and lasting improvement in quality of life.
We have another therapist, Allison Parks, who also specializes in trauma and draws from training in somatic modalities or “bottom-up approaches” such as IFS therapy or “parts work,” Somatic Experiencing and Brainspotting. She can also offer more traditional talk therapy based in CBT, Motivational Interviewing, or Existential Therapy, as well as a more transpersonal, spiritual, mindfulness-based, or animistic approach. She provides clients with support through various life transitions, which could include grief and loss, health issues, peri/menopause, changes in relationship or career, and more. Allison is especially passionate about working with trauma, addictions, and attachment issues.
While all of our therapists have some degree of training in trauma, we have other specialties as well. Natalie Slack specializes in working with couples and those experiencing relationship conflict and distress, and draws on training in Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFCT) and the Gottman Method. She also works with individuals, ranging from teens to older adults, and has a particular passion for supporting those experiencing anxiety, OCD, and related challenges, drawing from therapeutic frameworks that include IFS, Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Natalie draws on narrative and relational approaches to support clients in increasing their tolerance for uncertainty, accessing the present moment, reclaiming their unique story and experiences, and reconnecting to what brings them joy in life.
Julia Rosenzweig specializes in working children, teens, and young adults and draws from her training and experience in CBT, DBT, art therapy, and animal-assisted therapy. She incorporates her therapy dog, Ruby, into her work with clients on a regular basis. Julia’s goal and approach as a mental health practitioner is to walk alongside each client with empathy, creativity, humor and curiosity, helping them grow their resilience, draw upon their existing strengths, and discover strengths they didn’t know they had so that they may succeed in achieving their own therapy goals.
In thinking about what sets us apart and what I’m most proud of brand wise, I think my response to the next question actually sums it up best.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
At risk of sounding overly dramatic, the group practice model really seems to be a “dying breed.” As big tech companies have entered the mental health arena, the field has become saturated with individual providers who can now rely on big tech to take care of their referrals, marketing, insurance, billing, etc. While I completely understand the lure of this model (and have even felt mildly tempted myself at times), I have come to realize that I want to hang on to my traditional group practice model as tightly as I can. At this point, I can still take care of all of the insurance and billing myself. I really take pride in knowing the ins and outs of the administrative side.
Additionally, I greatly value connection and collaboration amongst therapists at the practice so that we can all learn and grow from one another’s experiences. I believe that every therapist, from one that is seasoned to one who is new in the field, has something to offer. We value and affirm one another’s strengths and support and guide our weaknesses. We meet for regular group consultations and even for the occasional meal out. Birthdays are celebrated and diverse holiday traditions/practices honored. At this very moment, I’m stressing about getting enough pumpkin cream cheese muffins for the next group consultation, per Allison’s very specific request!
I think it’s also interesting to note that none of us at DT are utilizing AI for documentation. We really value the authenticity of using our own words to convey the complex work that we do with our clients. I believe that absolutely, we are taking a risk in not changing and shifting in ways that the greater landscape is, and personally, I think we’re “old school” in all of the right ways. For these reasons, we are a great fit for clients who are seeking out a smaller practice with an intimate, authentic feel and sense of connectedness. We receive feedback from clients that they appreciate what we offer as it can be difficult to find in the changing landscape of this field. I am deeply grateful that we stand out in this way, and I find that it’s very much worth the risk!
Pricing:
- Intake session $150
- Follow-up session $125
- Insurance accepted (Cigna, Aetna, United/Optum)
Contact Info:
- Website: https://dt-counseling.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100075662325450
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dana-torres-11b838ab
Image Credits
Bella Feltes
