I come to the practice of psychotherapy through the broader project of my own life—that is, trying to understand what it means to be a person and how to feel good inside while living with integrity and authenticity. That project has taken me through a PhD in American Literature and decades as a writer of novels, memoirs, and journalism. In the latter work, I found an ever-greater convergence between my listening for the stories of others, the challenge of telling my own story with honesty, and the liberation that came through conversations with my personal therapist, across ten years of treatment. Finally, I saw a way to weave all this into a single pursuit by becoming a therapist myself.

If I had to describe my personal style, I’d go with warm, focused, compassionate, and occasionally playful. If I had to label my approach, I’d call it psychodynamic—meaning that I work from the psychoanalytic premise that much of our emotional life and conflict is unconscious and that coaxing it into the light can set us free. But I’ve also come to understand that therapy is about much more than insight. It’s about a collaborative relationship built on compassion and shared commitment—client and therapist together, exploring the client’s fears, hopes, joys, and vulnerabilities. It’s about finding the safety and flexibility to wander the past and hear its harmonics in the present, and, from their shared music, craft new ways of being.

On a more practical note, I am currently registered in the State of California as an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (AMFT #155759) under the Supervision of Lynndal Daniels (LMFT #78183).

If this sounds like it might be a good fit, send me an email at daniel_duane@mac.com. I’m happy to schedule a brief phone call or even a first session.