We were lucky to catch up with Danielle Parker, PsyD recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Danielle, thanks for joining us today. Can you share an important lesson you learned in a prior job that’s helped you in your career afterwards?

Once I started to feel confident in my career, I would often forget that what seems obvious to me, may not be for everyone else. Sometimes I would jump the gun and share a form of knowledge or insight with my clients, and I could tell that it was not helpful for them. One of my supervisors shared with me that even in our profession, timing is everything. I could have the most accurate interpretation of what my client is struggling with, but it would only be useful for them if they were ready to hear and acknowledge it. To this day, it can be difficult for me to be patient and not rush the process, but I can tell that my clients truly benefit from me meeting them where they are at.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I am a Licensed Clinical Psychologist, and I specialize in working with children, adolescents, and families. I have always wanted to work with children, and my passion for psychology and helping others solidified my career path. Every day is a new adventure and all of my clients keep me on my toes. I believe my ability to truly listen and connect with people allows me to guide my clients through each of their individual journeys.

If you could go back in time, do you think you would have chosen a different profession or specialty?

Absolutely! I am not going to lie, I definitely have my days when I rethink it. My job can be extremely stressful and exhausting, but when I see clients making progress it is all worth it. There is not much that is more rewarding than watching a 7-year-old start to express their anger in healthy ways, or a 19-year-old find their identity and voice.

Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?

First and foremost, it would have to be humor, patience, and creativity. I have never really thought of myself as a creative person, but I am constantly finding new and fun ways to help children learn mindfulness and/or emotion regulation skills. Second, a wide breadth of interests and knowledge. One of the first homework assignments that I give my clinicians is to learn as much as they can about Disney, Star Wars, Roblox, Marvel, Minecraft, etc., as well as constantly staying up to date on the newest trends so that we can relate and connect with our clients.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.nandntherapy.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nature_and_nurture_therapy/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nandntherapy

Image Credits
Dana Mitteer