Learn more about me.

Dani Dierking

LAT ATR-BC LPC

she/her/hers

First off, I want to share some of the pieces of my life that inform the flavor of therapist I’ve become. I am a cis, white, queer woman in her 30’s. I’ve got a chronically ill body and a neurodivergent mind. I’ve been in and out of my own therapy for my entire adult life. I love absurd humor, naps, dogs, karaoke, making silly art and changing up my hair to feed the dopamine demons.

Art and play first became my buds as a young kid. They showed up when my siblings and I put on plays and choreographed dance numbers. They were there when I drew my pets as characters in story books. Into adulthood, they followed me into both my job and my free time. Creativity has continued to be the well from which I drink to feel closer to myself and more secure in the world.

Creativity, for me, is a spiritual pursuit. What’s more meaningful than sublimating your inner experience into something you can touch, hear, or see?  As an art therapist, I help others find their own path of self-discovery through art, helping them shed the layers of false narratives they've unknowingly absorbed. My work is built upon the idea that our bodies and minds hold untapped wisdom to reveal to us through the creative act and in a safe therapeutic relationship.

This is what I bring to the (art) table.

  • Disclaimer:  If you are looking for a traditional therapist, I am not your gal. My clients have told me they appreciate how much I keep it real. I find it so valuable to show up with my clients as a human, with unmasked facial expressions, an F bomb when it’s called for, and joining in on giggling with you about how morbidly funny life can be. 

    Within a couple of sessions, you will probably learn how open and engaged I am with what you are bringing into the room. I truly believe that you are the expert on how our work unfolds, even if you don’t feel that’s true. I will often offer choices like “Do we want to follow this thread around your work frustrations?” or “Do we want to return to this recent art you made exploring your relationship with your partner?”

    When we start getting into the weeds of processing, I have favorite approaches to bring into the mix alongside art therapy, especially Gestalt Therapy, Internal Family Systems (IFS), and Compassion Focused Therapy. I love offering the nerdy science behind mental health, often pulling nuggets from Interpersonal Neurobiology, Attachment Theory, and Polyvagal Theory. I am continuously assessing, exploring, and re-adjusting to fine-tune your therapy experience so you leave each session feeling safe, seen, and supported.

    • Social justice and unlearning the oppressive structures I participate in

    • Neurodivergence and how wildly complex presentations can be in adulthood

    • Invisible chronic illness specifically related to experiences of those assigned female at birth

    • Reveal Their Story: Using the MIGDAS-2 Strengths-Based System when Assessing Verbally Fluent Older Adolescents and Adults Across the Lifespan (2025)

    • Adult ADHD: Assessment and Differential Diagnosis (2025)

    • Adult ADHD: Perspectives on Diagnosis, Treatment, Neurodiversity, and Advocacy (2025)

    • Becoming a Neurodivergent Affirming Clinician (2024)

    • Referral Letters for Gender Affirming Medical Care (2024)

    • Polyvagal Principles for Clinicians (2024)

    • Building a Private Practice from the Soul: A Trauma-Informed and Antiracist Approach (2021)

  • Master of Arts in Art Therapy Counseling /Marylhurst University/ June 2014

    Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies (Art and Psychology) / Eastern Washington University/ June 2012