Danielle Gagnon, MS, CMHC
Therapist at Entrada
Danielle has worked with adolescents and young adults in a wide range of settings including residential treatment centers and wilderness therapy. Throughout her career she has resonated with experiential therapeutic modalities and with the healing nature of the outdoors. Over the last few years Danielle has worked primarily with adolescents who identify as female, who have struggled with anxiety, depression, trauma and loss, adoption, attachment, challenging family dynamics, substance use and emotional regulation.
Education and Prior work experience
Danielle is a licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor, having earned a Master of Science in counseling from Johnson & Wales University in Rhode Island. Danielle has over ten years of experience in the mental health field, and over five years as a wilderness therapist. Danielle earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a minor in Environmental Science from the University of New England in Maine. She enjoyed studying the healing effects that nature has on the human psyche. Several of the modalities she uses include Brain Spotting, Trauma-Focused CBT, SMART Recovery as well as a Safe Zone Certification working with the LGBTQ+ population. She believes these forms of therapy create a space for students to access negative memories and feelings then release them, allowing the brain and body to heal.
Strengths
Danielle has a deep understanding of the importance of working with the whole family in addition to the individual client, thus allowing family members to grow and change both individually and as a system. Danielle has mastered the art of holding firm boundaries with the young people she works with, while also challenging them and building a strong rapport. She uses a holistic approach in her work and pulls from a variety of therapeutic modalities in order to best fit each individual’s specific needs. Danielle takes pride in using a relational approach and in creating a safe and comfortable environment for her clients.
Interests
Danielle is the youngest of her siblings and has always had an adventurous streak. She was born and raised in New England and as a true east coaster, she loves spending time immersed in the great outdoors. When she is not at work and teaching students about the power of nature, she can be found outside on adventures of her own which include road trips around the country, hiking, kayaking, snowboarding, paddle boarding, rock climbing, and camping. All of which include her partner and their fur baby, Ranger!