Dana Lawson (she/her), M.A., M.Ed.
Professional Counselor Associate
Anxiety Therapist in Tigard, Oregon
Life can feel different than the way it does today.
Right now you’re feeling stuck, anxious and overwhelmed. The voice of your inner critic is getting louder and you can’t shake the feeling like you’re just not enough. It’s getting harder to hold it all together.
You’re in the right place.
I’m Dana (she/her) and I help people just like you. I help clients find confidence, self-compassion, balance, and peace by equipping you with the tools you need to better understand yourself and your world around you so you can live a life that aligns with your values and goals. With warmth and compassion, I create a space where you can bring your full self, nothing is off limits. I will hold all that you bring with compassion until you are able to do the same for yourself.
Therapy with me isn’t all sitting & talking.
We’ll also work on practical skills that you can apply to your day-to-day life.
Clients who work with me benefit from my ability to help you to:
Identify and live in alignment with your values
Build your toolkit of your coping skills to manage stress and anxiety
Explore the presence of shame in your life
Challenge your negative self-talk and inner critic
Increase your capacity for greater self-compassion
Set healthier boundaries (with yourself and others)
Identify and understand your emotions, thoughts, and behaviors
Improve your communication in relationships
Define what a life worth living looks like for you
My core values
In addition to my core values below, I practice therapy from a Health at Every Size (HAES), intuitive eating, and anti-diet approach.
Compassion
My favorite definition of compassion is “where suffering meets love”. I intentionally chose to include the word compassion in my practice name. You’ll find a warm, caring place where you do not have to struggle alone. We will work together to alleviate your suffering and find peace.
Social Justice
As a cisgender, white, straight woman without disabilities, I acknowledge my responsibility to confront systems of oppression and work toward the dismantling of white supremacy, ableism, homophobia, and gender biases. I continually engage in the work to examine my own biases, stereotypes, privilege and worldview with the intention of contributing to the creation of a more equitable and inclusive world.
Authenticity
I practice showing up as the most real and true version of myself that I can. I’m human, too. I want to help you connect with your authentic self and not who you think you’re supposed to be, but who you truly are.
Training & Education
Oregon Board of Professional Counselors and Therapists, License #R6917
Supervised by Kerri Anderson-Linde, LPC
Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, George Fox University
Master’s in Higher Education Administration, University of Texas at San Antonio
Bachelor’s of Arts in Art History from Trinity University
Postpartum Mood and Anxiety Disorders Training from Postpartum Support International
Mindful Self-Compassion Core Skills Training
Additional trainings completed in Trauma-Focused CBT, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Compassion-Focused Therapy
My Approach to Therapy
I’m not a one-size-fits-all therapist. Therapy with me is personal and individual. I will take the time to get to know your unique story and your current challenges. I want to know: what do you want to be different? Collaboratively, we will identify your goals for your mental health and I’ll provide you with a road map for our time together.
I am a lifelong learner. If you’re up for it, our sessions could include us working through a workbook, discussing a podcast episode, or exploring a book related to your mental health challenges. I love bringing in knowledge and resources to inform our work.
I am relational, curious, and compassionate. My clients appreciate my authenticity, warmth, and willingness to acknowledge our common humanity in the therapy space. I’m direct and see part of my role as challenging my clients but with scaffolding and support. I also like to bring a bit of creativity and humor to the room.
My approach is integrated - I draw from theoretical orientations that are person-centered, humanistic and behavioral. I lean heavily on Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT), Radically Open Dialectical Behavior Therapy (RO-DBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). The practice of self-compassion is foundational to my work. I approach therapy from a trauma-informed and attachment-based perspective.
My priority in our work is that you walk away feeling truly seen, heard, and understood, and with insight and tools to make the changes that will improve your life.
About Me
I love spending time with my family - I’m a wife and mom to two little girls. When I’m not working with clients or entrenched in mom life, you can find me with my nose in a book, listening to a podcast, bingeing reality TV or Netflix, or daydreaming about my next adventure abroad. I also enjoy riding my Peloton bike and love walking my golden retriever puppy, Frankie.
