I come to the practice of psychotherapy in a roundabout way, through the wider meanderings of my own life. My first career was in academia—I got a PhD and taught English and Creative Writing. It was only during my second career, as a writer of books and journalism, that I sought therapy for matters of the heart. I found therapy so helpful that I kept it up for decades—until, finally, I trained to become a psychotherapist myself.

If I had to describe my personal style, I’d go with warm, focused, compassionate, and occasionally playful. If I had to label my approach, I’d call it psychodynamic—meaning that I work from the psychoanalytic premise that much of our emotional life and conflict is unconscious and that bringing it to light, and learning to be honest with ourselves about ourselves, can set us free. But I’ve also learned that therapy is about much more than insight. It’s about a collaborative relationship built on compassion and shared commitment—client and therapist, together, exploring the client’s fears, hopes, joys, and vulnerabilities. It’s about finding the safety and flexibility to wander the past and hear echoes in thepresent, and to craft new ways of being.

Daniel Duane is a Registered Associate Marriage and Family Therapist, AMFT #155759 employed by Psychotherapist.Coach: A Marriage and Family Therapist Corp. He is supervised by Lynndal Daniels, LMFT #78183.