Therapist in Gladstone, OR Dana Parfitt, Therapist

Dana is a licensed clinical social worker in the state of Oregon (L6645). She earned her master's in Social Work from the University of Kansas and has 11 years of experience in the field of mental health and substance use disorders. Dana began her career as a counselor for adolescents involved in the juvenile justice system and foster care. She later managed a team of child and family therapists. In 2020, Dana realized that she missed direct care and returned to counseling full-time.

Dana adheres to research that has shown that therapeutic alliance is the most important element when meeting treatment goals; meaning that it is imperative that you feel heard and understood by your counselor. Dana believes in being authentic with clients and has a compassionate, down-to-earth approach. She primarily uses CBT, DBT, motivational interviewing, and strengths-based interventions. Her work with individuals and families is rooted in systems theory and the person in environment model.

Dana can often be found barefoot in her garden surrounded by her menagerie of animals, playing epic drum solos to anyone that will listen or laughing way too loud with friends and family. She has a deep appreciation for anything curious, odd, or peculiar.