About Dale Daniel, Licensed Clinical Psychotherapist
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I created this web site because I saw SO many people struggling with Anxiety and Panic Attacks, mostly when I was working in hospital Emergency Rooms. I have worked in multiple hospital Emergency Rooms, and have conducted approximately 2000 emergency psychiatric assessments on patients who came in with acute, emergency psychiatric problems and symptoms. These problems included suicidality and Anxiety and Panic Attacks. Additionally, in my own Private practice and other counseling environments, I've worked with approximately 1,000 more clients and patients, often struggling with Panic and Anxiety. As a result of my ER experiences, as well as my private practice client experiences, I've become very sensitized to the extraordinary levels of immediate fear and uncertainty that Anxiety and Panic Attacks often cause, as well as the high level of "treatability" of Anxiety and Panic Attacks. However, as I see it, the problem was, and continues to be, that the people suffering from Anxiety Attacks all too often have a gigantic difficulty in finding legitimate and helpful treatment and treatment providers, especially at a reasonable cost. Anxiety and Panic Attacks are extremely treatable, but do require specialized knowledge and techniques to be maximally safe, effective and successful. When I searched for effective AND economical treatment products on the internet, I found that most of the authors of Panic and Anxiety treatment books, audios and videos were not treatment professionals, but rather suffers and previous suffers of Anxiety. These authors claim to have found the knowledge and techniques that had worked for them, and further claim that their techniques will work for everyone else, as well. In their enthusiasm and overzealousness, these authors also made lots and lots (and LOTS!) of unrealistic claims on their sales web sites. Certainly some of these Anxiety and Panic Treatment Programs, often easily, immediately and inexpensively accessible through the internet, are worth the time and money. However, in my opinion, some of these programs are clearly "better" than others, and essentially all of them are "better" in one area, and not as good in other areas. As such, it depends on a good number of details regarding your personal situation as to which of these programs might be maximally helpful for you. In short, you'll still have to sort through a LOT of "hype," but I'll help you sort through the details, first. |
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND: B. A. Psychology, 1978, Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches,
Texas M. A. Agency Counseling, 1995, University of Northern Colorado,
in Greeley, Colorado |
EMPLOYMENT BACKGROUND: I worked in construction and warehouse jobs in Texas to put myself through college, even "flipped a few burgers." After completing my bachelors degrees, I worked at a grant-funded, State agency, Crockett State School, with juvenile delinquent girls; in a hospital Emergency Room as an Emergency Medical Technician; and five years as a Surface Warfare Officer in the U.S. Navy. After that, I worked for a huge aerospace corporation, McDonnell Douglas Corporation, in California, and a small "mom and pop shop," Rushmore Photo, in South Dakota in the tourist business. In 1992, I started Graduate School in South Dakota and Colorado, and completed a Master's Degree in Counseling Psychology in 1995. Since 1993, I have worked primarily in the counseling and psychotherapy field, as described more in detail below. |
PROFESSIONAL CREDENTIALS: Bachelor's Degree, Psychology Past Professional Credentials include: |
BACKGROUND IN COUNSELING: I've been a Psychotherapist since 1993, licensed to practice Psychotherapy (Licensed Professional Counselor) since 1997. When I completed graduate school at the University of Northern Colorado in 1995, I had learned a great deal about psychotherapy, and especially mental health. However, what I also learned was how much I had NOT learned! Over the past many years as a psychotherapist, I've spent between one hour and 10 years with approximately 3,000 clients and patients. I started my counseling career working with chronically mentally ill adults in inpatient psychiatric hospitals and County facilities. Most of these patients suffered from Major Depression, Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder, and Drug and Alcohol Dependence. They also struggled with plenty of Anxiety, especially some of the more severe forms of Anxiety like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Multiple Personality Disorder (now called Dissociative Identity Disorder). After working in psychiatric agencies for a short few years, and completing my graduate degree, I started a private practice in Counseling, and a Colorado State Certified Domestic Violence Treatment Program. I treated both Domestic Violence perpetrators, as well as victims. I learned more about Domestic Violence than I ever cared to know. And, now I know why the victim of domestic violence doesn't "just leave" the violent relationship ... she typically "can't" leave, for a myriad of very real and legitimate reasons. (no, Domestic Violence treatment won't be my next web site ...) I ultimately sold my Domestic Violence Treatment Program years ago. Last I heard, it was still "up and running," with my continual best wishes that it is making a positive difference for the people in that community. I continued seeing private practice patients. One day, I was contacted by a 43 year old male who had experienced a "death scare," from his Anxiety, thinking that he was having a heart attack and was going to die. As a result of the severity of this client's Anxiety symptoms and his insistence that I help him immediately, I headed "back to the books" to learn a lot more about treating Anxiety and Panic. A few years ago, I worked in several different hospital Emergency Rooms, conducting emergency psychiatric assessments on patients who came in with acute, emergency psychiatric problems and symptoms, including suicidality and Anxiety and Panic Attacks. In hospital Emergency Rooms, I've observed and had reported to me on many, many occasions three consistent themes: (1) Suffers of Anxiety and Panic can and often do have very intense, surprising, experiences of Anxiety that very, very seriously frighten them; (2) Medical hospital Emergency Rooms, at least in the United States, are typically very good at diagnosing and stabilizing emergency medical problems, but not at all good at diagnosing or stabilizing emergency psychiatric problems, including Anxiety; (3) Effective and reasonably-priced diagnostic and treatment services for Anxiety and Panic were (and still are) extremely difficult to locate and access. By now, I've heard sobering and fearful descriptions and explanations of Anxiety Attacks many, many times. And even worse, so many of my clients and patients described to me having so much trouble finding good, reliable information about their anxiety and how to treat it. When they first came to me, I didn't know how to treat anxiety, either. One of my patients told me, "All my doctor could do was give me tranquilizers, but that didn't fix the problem. I got addicted to the meds, and I still had my anxiety." Many of my clients have previously sought some sort of treatment, even from professionals, and had bad experiences, "I dissociated in my therapist's office and it scared her. She sent me to the Emergency Room. And even in the Emergency Room, they had no idea what to do." (Yep, 'been there and done that! And I had a Master's Degree in Counseling at the time. Now I know what to do.) Because Anxiety is so prevalent, so potentially frightening, so treatable, and so difficult for which to find good treatment providers, I became especially interested in treating Anxiety and Panic. I set out to learn and practice the best available treatment approaches. I also became especially sensitized to the high cost associated with good mental health treatment, the negative stigma, at least in the United States, and the increasing reluctance and resistance for insurance companies to pay for treatment for something that is "only in your mind." I once saw a bumper sticker that read, "Of all the things I've lost, I miss my mind the most!" Whether you or I agree with this bumper sticker or not, (I do agree!) the insurance companies apparently do not agree with this perspective, and reflect that attitude with their reluctance, resistance and even refusal to pay for mental health treatment. All of these Anxiety Attack treatment challenges led me to seek less expensive, but at least adequate, and in some cases, more than adequate, treatment alternatives in treating Panic Attacks (as well as other mental health issues!) Certainly some of these treatment alternatives can be found available through the internet, and can be learned very inexpensively through ebooks, audios and videos. I ordered many of these products, studied them, kept some for my personal library, and returned others. Overall, I've learned a LOT about treating anxiety, and about some of the people who think they can treat anxiety. Some of their products are potentially more effective, and other products are potentially less effective. And they are available in different formats, some in multiple formats (ebooks, audios, videos) so are subject to "personal preference." I presently work as the Practice Administrator for a Medical Office, and as a Psychotherapist. Most of my work is administrative. However, I see patients every week. What is the most frequent diagnosis of the patients referred to me - Panic and Anxiety. |
