Traci Doran
I believe therapy should be a place where you can bring your full self—your worries, questions, difficult experiences, and hopes for the future—without fear of judgment. My role is to offer a compassionate, collaborative space where you can slow down, feel heard, and begin making sense of what has been weighing on you. You do not have to have the right words or know exactly where to begin. We can start with what feels most important to you. My approach focuses on helping clients understand the connection between thoughts, emotions, behaviors, relationships, and past experiences. Together, we identify patterns that may be contributing to anxiety, feeling stuck, shame, emotional overwhelm, or difficulty trusting yourself. From there, we build practical, personalized tools that support emotional regulation, self-awareness, healthy boundaries, and meaningful change.
As a compassionate and experienced clinician, I specialize in helping individuals navigate the complexities of anxiety, depression, and grief.
I work with individuals experiencing anxiety, intrusive thoughts, compulsive behaviors, trauma-related concerns, grief, relationship difficulties, emotional dysregulation, shame, and identity-related concerns. I understand that these experiences can feel isolating or exhausting. Therapy can offer space to explore them with honesty and care while developing skills that feel useful beyond the therapy room. I integrate Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Inference-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (I-CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and trauma-informed care. Depending on your needs and goals, our work may include noticing and challenging unhelpful thoughts, building distress-tolerance skills, practicing mindfulness, strengthening communication, or developing new ways to respond to difficult emotions. My hope is that therapy helps you feel more grounded, capable, and connected to yourself. I will meet you with curiosity, respect, and compassion as we work toward a life that feels safer, more manageable, and more aligned with your values. Whether you are beginning therapy or returning after a break, we will move at a pace that feels supportive, respectful, sustainable, and right for you each day.
First session
Your first session is a welcoming space to begin sharing your story at a pace that feels comfortable for you. We will talk about what brings you to therapy, the challenges you are facing, and the goals you hope to work toward. You do not need to have the “right” words or share everything at once. I approach our conversation with compassion, curiosity, and respect—never judgment. Together, we will begin to understand your experiences, identify what support may be most helpful, and explore practical next steps. By the end of the session, you can expect a clearer sense of how therapy may support you and whether we feel like a good fit.
Strengths
One of my greatest strengths as a therapist is my ability to create a nonjudgmental and emotionally safe environment for clients who may carry significant shame, fear, or distress about their thoughts, behaviors, or past experiences. I strive to meet clients with compassion, curiosity, and authenticity while still maintaining accountability and encouraging meaningful growth. I am skilled at helping clients explore complex emotional patterns, intrusive thoughts, trauma responses, and compulsive behaviors in a way that feels approachable and manageable rather than overwhelming. I value building strong therapeutic rapport and helping clients feel understood while also providing practical tools for emotional regulation, insight, and long-term healing. My approach balances empathy with evidence-based interventions to help clients better understand themselves and move toward lasting change.
Ideal clients
I work best with individuals who are ready to pause, reflect, and take meaningful steps toward a life that feels safer, more balanced, and more aligned with their values. You do not need to have everything figured out before beginning therapy; curiosity and a willingness to show up honestly are enough. My ideal clients may be navigating anxiety, grief, obsessive thoughts or compulsions, relationship concerns, life transitions, or the impact of difficult experiences. They are interested in better understanding their patterns and learning practical tools to manage emotions, challenge unhelpful thoughts, strengthen boundaries, and respond to stress with greater self-compassion. Therapy is a collaborative process. I value clients who are willing to participate actively in sessions, share feedback about what is and is not helpful, and practice skills between appointments when possible. This may include trying a grounding exercise, noticing thought patterns, completing a reflection, or using a new communication strategy. Progress does not require perfection; small, consistent efforts can create meaningful change. Whether you are beginning therapy for the first time or returning after a break, we can start where you are. I welcome openness about uncertainty, hesitation, and setbacks, because these experiences are part of the healing process and can guide our work together. I also welcome clients who are open to exploring approaches that may feel unfamiliar at first. Together, we can tailor therapy to your needs, pace, and goals using evidence-based strategies from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Inference-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Dialectical Behavior Therapy. A strong therapeutic relationship is central to the work. I strive to offer a compassionate, nonjudgmental space where you can feel heard, respected, supported. If you are seeking a therapist who will partner with you as you heal, build confidence, and create lasting change, I would be honored to work with you.
Treatment methods
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
I use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help clients understand how thoughts, emotions, and behaviors influence one another. Together, we identify patterns that may be contributing to anxiety, distress, or feeling stuck, then explore more balanced and helpful ways of responding. CBT is practical and collaborative. Sessions may include learning coping strategies, challenging unhelpful beliefs, practicing new behaviors, and using simple exercises between appointments. The goal is to help you feel more confident, flexible, and equipped to manage challenges in daily life.
Dialectical Behavior (DBT)
I use Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) to help clients build practical skills for managing intense emotions, reducing distress, improving relationships, and responding more effectively during difficult moments. DBT combines acceptance and change: we honor your experiences while also identifying steps that support the life you want to build. In sessions, we may focus on mindfulness, emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness. I tailor these skills to your goals and encourage small, realistic practice between sessions so they can become useful tools in everyday life.
Location
Virtual sessions