Dana Holkestad

Hello & Welcome. As a psychotherapist, my approach is a dynamic one because I don’t think humans are static; I believe we are always moving, shifting and changing, even when we feel stuck. I see many of our painful or restricting patterns as originating in childhood and often existing outside of our awareness. This early-life (“attachment-based”) perspective allows me an in-depth approach that I adapt to each client. I see therapy as a process full of curiosity, caring and even challenges and I trust in this process. My goal is to create the safety and attunement required for you to explore the areas of life that are difficult to navigate on your own. In this safe space, my hope is you can begin learning new ways of seeing, thinking and feeling and remember your agency in this life. I am always honored to be even a small part of someone’s journey and am always open to feedback along the way. I am sensitive to the unique needs of different individuals and groups including those identifying as neurodivergent and 2SLGBTQI + while understanding it is an ongoing process of learning. I practice a trauma-informed culturally sensitive approach as well. Some of the issues I often work with are early life relational trauma; chronic feelings of shame or self-esteem issues; panic/anxiety or feelings of overwhelm; “obsessive” or ruminating tendencies and difficulty finding balance or agency in life. I find it helps to get intimately familiar with the client’s personal experience so that we can understand certain triggers and challenging areas and map out some potential paths forward. I find it most important to simply create space to deepen into the client’s emotional experience, bringing attention to unprocessed thoughts and feelings