Dana Scuderi

I’m a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with a lifelong passion for helping people through life’s most difficult moments. My background spans more than 13 years in social services - from child protective services, foster care and adoption to staff development and serving for five years as a Commissioner of Social Services - giving me a deep understanding of people, families, trauma, and the challenges life can bring. I hold a Master’s degree in Social Work from the University at Albany, SUNY, as well as a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Philosophy. Today, I specialize in helping adults navigate trauma, anxiety, depression, grief, life transitions, relationship difficulties, stress, and substance use concerns. I bring warmth, authenticity, compassion, and real-world experience to every session, meeting you where you are and helping you move toward where you want to be.

My approach to therapy is warm, genuine, and collaborative. I believe you already have strengths within you, and together we’ll build on those strengths while exploring the thoughts, patterns, and experiences that may be keeping you stuck. I use approaches such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), strengths-based therapy, positive psychology, and meaning- and values-focused work, tailoring our sessions to what works best for you. I’ll listen without judgment, ask thoughtful questions, and also be direct when you need support seeing something differently. Most importantly, therapy with me is a partnership...we’ll work together to help you feel stronger, more confident, and better equipped to navigate whatever life brings.

Our first session is really about getting to know each other and giving you the space to share what brought you to therapy - at your own pace. I’ll ask questions to better understand what you’re experiencing, what’s important to you, and what you hope will be different in your life. You don’t need to have everything figured out or know exactly what to say; we’ll start wherever you are. My goal is for you to leave our first conversation feeling heard, understood, and hopeful that you have someone in your corner. From there, we’ll work together to decide what you’d like to focus on and what moving forward looks like for you.