Dana Gilbertson (She/her)

There are so many times in our lives when we are asked to grow- transitioning to a new school or job, changing relationships, or entering a new phase of life and development. There are so many times in our lives when we are asked to grow- transitioning to a new school or job, changing relationships,

Depression can color so much of life- often by sapping it of it's color and joy. I use a variety of strategies to address negative thoughts, low self-esteem, and the lack of motivation that can often come with Depression in order to help you re-engage with life in the ways that you want to and to find some moments of color and joy.

Though Anxiety is a helpful and useful adaptation in many situations, when it begins to appear in ALL situations so that you are unable to engage with life, then it stops being helpful. I work with people to acknowledge where the anxiety stops being helpful and provide strategies to manage and quiet that anxious voice so that you can participate in your life without anxiety holding you back.

Especially for managing anxiety, working to improve mindfulness through yoga, meditation, or mindful breathing/grounding exercises is an effective strategy to provide calming, help you to cope in difficult situations, or be able to step out of uncomfortable emotions.

While I would never provide solely CBT, I do believe there are many elements that can provide people with concrete strategies to make improvements in their lives. This often includes activities to examine your thoughts in a situation and where there may have been unhelpful assumptions, biases, or unfair negativity. Many of these strategies can also be helpful for ADHD symptoms or simply helping adolescents to stop and think before reacting.

Though I am not a certified art therapist, I have engaged in several trainings around using art for many aspects of therapy. Art can help people communicate and process, it can provide an emotional outlet, and it can help people build their self-esteem. This could mean creating a collage, painting, or something as simple as doing a coloring sheet to stay regulated while discussing difficult things.