Today we’d like to introduce you to Danielle Dworaczyk.
Danielle, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My family likes to joke that my journey into the counseling field began when I was in second grade. As the story goes, at the back to school night, my teacher told my mom that I was going to be a social worker because of how compassionate I was towards children on the playground. This teacher wasn’t exactly correct, but she was close! I studied developmental psychology when I was an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh and was pretty certain that I wanted to work with young children with Autism. This goal shifted slightly while I was in graduate school, working towards my master’s in counseling at the University of Pennsylvania. I realized that I enjoyed working with adults and also teaching adults. The next thing I knew, I was uprooting my life and moving to Houston, Texas to start a Ph.D. program in Counselor Education. When I arrived in Texas, I obtained my licensure in Professional Counseling and began working at a group practice.
After completing the required hours to become a Licensed Professional Counselor, I decided to leave the group practice life and open my own private practice. With the flexibility of running my own practice, I am able to pursue my other passion, teaching as an adjunct professor at the University of Houston, and am also able to work on completing my doctoral studies.
Has it been a smooth road?
There have absolutely been struggles along the way… Beginning with the big move to Texas! I had never lived outside of Pennsylvania, so moving so far away from family and friends was a really scary thing. Other than the move, the balancing of three jobs – school, counseling and teaching- has probably been the biggest challenge. With an unwavering dedication to doing what I love, I found a balance between these three responsibilities. I am so grateful to have the ability to run my own private practice and work with my incredible clients. I am honestly in awe of my clients and the hard work that they do. It makes my job so rewarding to know these incredible individuals.
We’d love to hear more about your work.
My practice is small and I like it that way. I care about the “fit” between a client and their counselor. I am completely aware that not every client is going to click with me and that is okay! One thing that sets me apart from most counselors is that I offer a 30 minute in-office (or via phone or video chat if you prefer) initial consultation. I want to give potential clients the opportunity to meet me in person and decide if I am the right fit for them. I believe that the relationship between the counselor and the client is the most important factor in making real change. I can provide a client with all of the tools in the world, but if the client doesn’t trust me why would he/she listen to anything I have to say? As far as what to expect in my office, I am trained in multiple therapeutic modalities but my approach is client-centered. My focus is on creating an environment in which a client can explore all feelings and experiences (the good, the bad and the ugly) in order to grow. I support my clients and challenge them. My clients come to me for a variety of reasons, but my practice specifically focuses on adults with work-life balance issues, family/relationship conflict and trauma. Sometimes all of these things are intertwined. I recognize that it is possible to have multiple passions in life and that family and work can often be passions that are hard to balance. I strive to help professional people solve the conflicts they have at home while still managing demanding careers.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
I absolutely love Houston. This city is not my home-away-from-home; it is truly my adopted home. This city embraces transplants. I have met so many interesting people from all over the world here in Houston. A “can do” mindset is woven into the fabric of the city and makes Houston a fantastic place for people looking to start their own business. Houston is a big city, but it still feels like a small town in all of the right ways. I have found that the people are neighborly, care about each other, and want to support each other both personally and professionally.
Pricing:
- I offer free 3o minute initial consultations in-office, by phone or through video chat.
- After the consultation the second session is $175 as this is the official 60 minute intake session.
- All subsequent sessions are 50 minutes and $150.
Contact Info:
- Address: 723 West 17th Stree
Houston, Texas 77008 - Website: https://dmdcounselinghtx.com
- Phone: 832-930-5788
- Email: danielle@dmdcounselinghtx.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dmd.counseling/
Image Credit:
Kelsey Fyffe
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