Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Dan Kapelle. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Dan thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. How did you get your first job in the field that you practice in today?

I am grateful to have started my professional career at the Phoenix Rescue Mission. I was living in England and preparing to make my way back to the United States when I first applied for a counseling role within their residential drug/alcohol treatment program. One thing in particular which stood out to me was a client testimony I read on their website. It was the story of a man who had suffered from addiction for several years. This man subsequently found hope and change after taking part in the treatment services provided by the PRM. This hope and change was due in part to another client in the treatment program at the time, which ended up being the man’s former drug dealer. Reading this story made me question whether or not things like this actually happen. I knew that if they did, I wanted to be part of something like this. I subsequently applied, but at the time did not plan on returning to the U.S. for several months. Unbeknownst to me, the PRM was looking to fill this position immediately, so I did not hear back from them. A few months later, I returned to Arizona and continued my job hunt. I came across the listing for the counselor role at the RPM once again, but figured I wouldn’t reapply as I didn’t hear back from them initially. Weeks later, I received a call from the PRM HR Director. Much to my surprise, he was going through old applications as they were looking to grow their clinical team. He offered me an interview and I agreed. Looking back, I am incredibly grateful things turned out the way they did. My many years at the Phoenix Rescue Mission provided incredible experience and opportunity. I was able to achieve my clinical license and help others do the same. I built life long friendships with my colleagues and had a front row seat to countless life transformations experienced by our clients. Throughout the course of my time I learned that modern day miracles, such as a man being helped by his former drug dealer, really do happen.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am a mental heath professional who believes in the value and importance of relationships. I’ve had the privilege of working with various populations experiencing an array of different challenges. While doing so, I’ve developed a deep love for partnering with and helping people. I’m inquisitive by nature and find joy in getting to know others deeply by helping them overcome any obstacle they may face. I seek to support my clients as we develop a plan that leads to peace and resolution. Much of my professional experience has been with local non-profits. I spent six years working in an inpatient treatment facility helping clients overcome addiction, trauma, relational issues and general mental health challenges. I’ve also had the privilege of working with students/international students, seniors, caregivers, brain injury survivors, traumatized adults and the City of Phoenix Fire Department. I have a deep respect for first responders and a passion for helping those who find themselves in a helping profession. After being so fortunate to work with so many different people with varying needs, I’ve come to realize that nothing is too big or too broken to overcome. Nothing is insurmountable, even if it feels like all hope is gone. I value meeting my clients where they’re at and helping them rediscover hope as we work together towards health and positive change. I value opportunities to have fun while helping others learn and achieve their personal or professional goals. Counseling, Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy and Substance Abuse graduate students as well as associate licensed professionals have been another area of focus throughout my career. I have been privileged to help many with the pursuit of their degrees, licensure exam preparation, clinical supervision and associate/independent licensure attainment. When I’m not working, you can find me spending time with friends and family, exercising, taking my wife on surprise dates, traveling, brewing Kombucha, cooking, eating out, reading/listening to books, walking my dog, doing house projects and hanging out at church.

I got into counseling after deciding not to become a police officer. This was my aim and goal for several years, but after gaining more experience in other helping professions, I decided to pursue counseling instead of law enforcement. Today I am privileged to own/operate a private practice with a team of incredible therapists. Together we treat an array of different presenting problems including and not limited to the following:

Trauma
Anxiety
Depression
General Mental Health
Grief
Relational Issues
Self-esteem
Spiritual Issues
Marital Issues/Divorce
Abuse/Neglect
Obsessive-Compulsive (OCD)
Addiction (alcohol, drugs, pornography, gambling, etc.)

I value treating both individuals and couples. It’s amazing to see change and transformation in those I serve. It’s hard to describe the feeling of seeing a couple’s marriage or relationship be renewed or restored. The work we do gives me great joy and motivation. I often find myself reflecting on what a privilege it is to help others in this capacity. I highly value my work, recognize its importance and am continually grateful.

Everyone on our team is a licensed mental health provider through the Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners. We are trained in a variety of therapeutic modalities including Motivational Interviewing (MI), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT). Our team has worked together for several years and we value opportunities to collaborate.

If you read the story of how our practice came to be, you’ll find that partnership is at the heart of our DNA as a business. We wouldn’t be where we’re at today without many of our partners in the community. This has given us a heart to help others succeed and continually build new partnerships, even if those partnerships seem unlikely or unconventional. We want to provide the most value to our clients and our community partnerships as possible. We feel we can have a greater impact on the community by leveraging strategic partnerships. Please feel free to reach out if you feel a partnership with our practice could be helpful.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

We are still in the midst of building our brand and reputation. To date, this has happened in several ways. We see value in every interaction and every relationship, be that a perspective client or community partner. Thinking of different ways to invest in the local community and help others has subsequently helped us build our reputation. For example, through a partnership with Life Church Peoria, we office out of their building. This has given us tremendous opportunity to build relationships with their staff, congregants and their community partners. Word of mouth is big in our industry and it’s helpful for people to not only the service we provide and its quality, but also to know who we are. This is made possible as we have a chance to not only work with more clients, but also build relationships with other businesses, agencies and organizations in the community.

Have I mentioned we have an incredible team?! This is a massive understatement. Our reputation boils down to the providers we have on staff and their heart for helping others. I often encourage anyone who is questioning the process or feeling apprehensive to just give themselves at least one session with one of our providers before making a decision. Often times clients find the process to be much more natural, easy and helpful than they had initially anticipated. This speaks volumes to the strength and dedication of our team as we place primary emphasis on the client/counselor relationship. We want quality relationships to be a large part of our identity.

Any advice for managing a team?

I’m always wanting to grow in my ability to manage and lead teams. One thing I’ve found most helpful is truly getting to know anyone I’m working with. This takes time, patience and intentionality. I find great value in being familiar with someone’s knowledge, skills, abilities, experience, desires and goals. This helps me better relate to and care for those I’m working with. Many helping professions require workers to exercise a high degree of self-care in order to function at optimal levels. Counseling is one of those professions. Due to the serious nature and importance of work we do, we have to be intentional about creating a culture that supports fun and rest. This is something I am passionate about. Culture can make or break an environment. It can attract or deter people. Promoting a culture that is safe, fun, supportive and all around helpful is always my aim. Who says work can’t be fun? Though the nature of what we do and how we do what we do is often serious, we strive to maintain a culture that is healthily light hearted and fun. Working relationships are always easier and more efficient when infused with a degree of comfortability and confidence. Creating a fun work environment is a great way to help promote both of these. My advice for managing a team and maintaining high morale is simply this, have more fun and help more people.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.dkccs.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556103448037
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielkapelle/
• Other: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/dk-counseling-and-clinical-supervision-llc-peoria-az/1120736 https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/jacqueline-zumach-peoria-az/1216382 https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/lisa-crist-peoria-az/1124276 https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/daren-dirksen-peoria-az/1225531