Accepting new clients for individual weekly therapy and therapy intensives
About Me
Dana McCray
Licensed Professional Counselor- Supervisor
~Let's get acquainted~
Like most of us, I was a goofball in middle school. At sleepovers, all my friends would form a line in front of my dining room table. I used my best French accent (why French I have no idea) and asked “Are you having any problems with your family members or your friends?” They would then proceed to make up stories and I would “counsel” them and “fix” their problems with my best advice. We would laugh until our sides hurt and it became a party favorite. In my therapy office today, I do not “fix” problems or speak in a terrible French accent. I do, however, carry the same genuine joy in caring for others and still have that goofball part in me.
I grew up in a house full of boys and as the only girl in the family, aside from my mom, I grew to be a nurturer and comforter. I noticed behaviors and patterns behind the scenes and saw how everyone was interwoven to form a beautifully imperfect tapestry. I love utilizing this in my work to help people see what patterns and people have helped shape them.
I have done a lot of work in my own therapy to care for the pained parts of me rather than avoid or try to force them out. When we work together, you can also find empathy and compassion towards yourself and let go of the guilt and shame that's been crushing you. It is my honor to walk alongside people in their pain, joy, challenges, and growth
What is it like to work with you?
In our sessions, I may incorporate Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help identify and shift unhelpful thought patterns, Somatic Experiencing to gently reconnect with the wisdom of the body, and Internal Family Systems (IFS) to explore and bring healing to the various inner parts of self. These approaches allow us to work not just on the surface, but at a deeper, more integrated level—emotionally, mentally, and somatically.
Who do you like to worth with?
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Moms in any stage of life: prenatal and postpartum, working moms struggling with the weight of responsibilities, and moms of older children wrestling with the change of roles and relationships
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High achievers outrunning burnout with the fear that any version of slowing down could lead to their world collapsing
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Women and men stuck in relational patterns they'd like to change: unhealthy patterns and behaviors in relationships, people pleasing tendencies, difficulty identifying and expressing needs and values
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I work with various other groups and would love to talk with you if you don't quite fit in these categories and want to learn more about if we'd be a good fit!
Do you have any resources to learn more?
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The IFS website is a wealth of knowledge and has free resources to better understand what this work looks like in therapy https://ifs-institute.com/
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No Bad Parts by Richard Schwarts- explores the IFS model
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How to Be the Love You Seek: Break Cycles, Find Peace, and Heal Your Relationships by Dr. Nicole LePera- explores recognizing unmet needs in early relationships and how this may affect current dysfunction and hardship in relationships
