Danielle Pugliese

Most adults come to me feeling misunderstood — especially women navigating perimenopause or menopause, and autistic adults who’ve spent years masking, pushing through burnout, or being told to “just try harder.” Therapy with me is a calm, steady space to understand what’s changing, why it feels so overwhelming, and how to move through it with more clarity and balance.

I specialize in supporting adults through major life transitions: hormonal shifts, identity changes, late autism diagnosis, sensory and social fatigue, relationship changes, and the feeling that something in life needs to shift. My approach is grounded, practical, and deeply validating. I use CBT, parts‐work, and trauma‐informed strategies, and I tailor sessions to each person’s nervous system and communication style.

I offer telehealth across all of New York State for adults 18+. Sessions are structured, supportive, and paced gently so you can explore what’s happening internally while building tools that help you feel more regulated and understood.

Therapy with me is more of a conversation than a check-in. I don't believe in a one-size-fits-all approach — especially not for neurodivergent clients, where what works for one person may not work at all for another.I pull from CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), family systems therapy, and trauma-informed frameworks, adjusting in real time based on what's landing. With kids and teens, I lean into creative, interactive methods — because sitting still and talking for 45 minutes isn't how every brain learns or processes. We might use a virtual sandtray, work through something visually on a shared screen, or spend a session just mapping out how your child actually experiences their world before building any kind of plan.For adult clients, I focus on understanding the full picture — what patterns keep showing up, what you've already tried, what's actually getting in the way — and then build practical strategies that fit your real life. Growth in therapy looks different for everyone. For some it's relief. For others it's clarity. For others it's just finally feeling like someone's in their corner.

The first session is really just us getting to know each other — no pressure to have everything figured out or to deliver your whole history in one sitting. I'll ask questions to understand what's going on and what brought you here, and you'll have space to ask me anything about how I work.If you're bringing in a child or teen, I'll spend time with the parents first and then get to know the young person in a way that feels comfortable for them — we might do something interactive or playful right away rather than jumping into a traditional intake.By the end of the first session, you should have a clear sense of what working together would look like and what we'd focus on first.