Dana Andersen, LPC, LPCC

Dana Andersen is a licensed counselor with more than 15 years of work in Minnesota. She focuses on stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, grief and loss, depression, and everyday coping with life changes. She approaches therapy with respect for each person’s story and strengths. Taking the first step can feel hard, and she recognizes that courage it takes to begin.

In sessions she listens first and follows the client’s lead to figure out what feels most helpful. She draws on cognitive behavioral techniques to notice and change unhelpful thinking and on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to help people act in line with their values even when emotions are strong. Emotionally-Focused Therapy and client-centered methods guide her to build a warm, empathetic space.

Many people come with layered concerns such as chronic illness, caregiving strain, or losses related to cancer and hospice care. She also supports people wrestling with abandonment, codependency, guilt, shame, or communication troubles. Sessions aim to break problems into manageable steps and find practical habits that fit daily life.

Therapy can include short-term solution-focused work for clear goals or deeper work on trauma and attachment wounds. The goal is to leave each session with concrete ideas to try between meetings. She encourages people to move at a pace that feels tolerable and helpful.

To start, clients use the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to available times. Dana practices in Minnesota and conducts work in English.

How Dana uses proven approaches for online work

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT, focuses on helping people act toward what matters to them even when difficult thoughts or feelings are present. It can be useful for anxiety, depression, and problems where avoidance keeps someone stuck.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, helps identify and change unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns. It is practical and often involves small experiments or habit changes to reduce symptoms and improve daily functioning.

Dana treats finding the right approach as a team effort. She will talk with each person about goals and preferences, then try techniques that match those needs. If something doesn’t fit, adjustments are made together so the work stays useful and manageable.

Confirm the current session options before booking to learn which online formats are available. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life, allow for shorter check-ins when needed, and reduce travel time. They also let people work on real-life skills in the settings where challenges occur, which can help transfer what’s learned into everyday routines.