“Hi Danica! I’m so excited to sit down with you. You’ve had a lot going on with graduating from Denver Seminary and getting married. Congratulations are definitely in order!”
Thank you! It has definitely been a busy season of life, but I am excited for all of the amazing things that are happening, including continuing to work here at Grace.
“I know I speak for everyone at Grace Counseling when I say how glad we are that you’ll be staying on with Grace now that you are done with school. What made you want to stay?”
I finished my internship with Grace at the end of August and graduated from Denver Seminary with my master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling. A few months before that, the leadership team at Grace decided that they would hire a Licensed Professional Counselor Candidate (LPCC). This is the credential that I recently received after finishing school. I knew that this was a wonderful opportunity for me so I applied! I knew that Grace would continue to be a good fit for me as I expand my counseling practice because of the teamwork and support from other clinicians and staff. It can be lonely to leave school and start out in a brand new private practice, but here I am supported and encouraged through every step. Our tagline here at Grace is “excellence with heart” and I believe that truly embodies the mindset of everyone here. We all strive to be excellent in our field, to be knowledgeable and continue learning and growing, while also maintaining a high level of care and compassion for our clients. That is how I want my practice to look as well: excellence as well as care.
“What are the next steps for you?”
As a recent graduate from a master’s program, there are still a few more steps on my way to becoming a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC). I am still being supervised and need to receive continuing education credits toward my license. I need to complete 2,000 working hours and 100 hours of clinical supervision spread out over a minimum of two years. What this means for clients is that I am still committed to learning and growing in the best evidenced based treatments for mental health concerns, while also being supervised by experienced veterans in the field. So clients get the best of both worlds with supervisors with experienced practice watching over me, and the newest research that I will be studying–and all for a reduced cost!
“What areas of practice are you looking forward to getting more in-depth with this year?”
I am interested in working with people who are often overlooked or unseen because they are caring for others who are ill or struggling. These helpers or caregivers might not think that counseling can help them, or they feel it is selfish of them to spend time and money on their own needs. I want to work with these people so that they know that they are valued, seen, and that their needs matter too. It can be isolating for people to always be caring for others without anyone else knowing the struggle that they are going through to hold all of the pieces together. In my office and in our work together, I hope that these clients will feel known and cared for.
“Are you going to explore any new techniques as you pursue your licensure?”
I am always looking out for more training opportunities that will be beneficial for my practice and my clients. Having a growth mindset and continually learning is important to me. What I have found quite helpful with a variety of clients is a combination of skill building and depth work in the counseling process. I would like to train more in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, which is a skills based approach. In school we learned how to read, solve math problems, and history, but I wish we had all learned some DBT skills for managing difficult emotions, stress, and relationships. These skills are so useful for healing and health.
“Are you still offering reduced fees?”
Yes, I will be offering sessions for a sliding scale fee that is based on income. I plan to be the bridge in price between our licensed clinicians and the reduced rates offered by our student interns. Now that I am a LPCC, my fees are between $60 and $90, which is a lot more affordable than most counselors in our area.
We are so grateful Danica is staying with Grace Counseling, and we are glad to see God’s blessings in her life. For more information, check out her biography and some of her past blogs on topics like stress reduction and ADHD. To request an appointment with Danica, click here, or call (720) 489-8555 and our staff can help you.
