Dana Benton , LICSW

Dana Benton is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) with 17 years of professional experience in clinical practice. She focuses on grief and loss, trauma, motivation, self-esteem and confidence, career difficulties, and challenges tied to race, culture, and identity. Dana approaches each person as the expert on their own life and partners with them to clarify goals and pursue meaningful change.

Dana emphasizes a collaborative relationship in which the clinician acts as a guide and a container for the client’s work rather than an outside authority. She draws from evidence-informed methods while centering the client’s strengths and lived wisdom, helping people cultivate greater resilience and direction. Seeking help is framed as a courageous step, and Dana aims to support and empower individuals as they move toward a more fulfilling and satisfying life.

Therapeutic approaches and online support

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people identify what matters most to them and take small, values-driven steps even when uncomfortable thoughts or feelings arise. It can be useful for coping with grief, life transitions, and challenges to motivation and self-esteem.

Attachment-Based Therapy focuses on patterns in close relationships and early bonds, exploring how those patterns affect current connections and self-view. This approach can help address attachment issues, relationship struggles, and caregiver stress by fostering healthier ways of relating.

Client-Centered Therapy centers the person’s own experience, offering empathic, nonjudgmental support that promotes self-understanding and growth. It is especially helpful for building confidence, clarifying life purpose, and navigating identity or cultural concerns.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. Dana collaborates with each person to determine which methods best match their needs, goals, and preferences, adjusting the plan over time as progress and priorities evolve.

Online sessions via video calls, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging offer flexibility for scheduling, make it easier to maintain continuity during busy periods or life changes, and increase access to consistent therapeutic support. These options allow licensed professionals and therapists to meet clients where they are and tailor interactions to fit different styles of communication and daily routines.