I am Dr. Parker Donner. I am a licensed psychologist. I work with adults facing a wide range of concerns, including anxiety, depression, trauma, stress, anger, grief, relationship difficulties, and major life changes. I also work with people who simply feel stuck, overwhelmed, or dissatisfied with some aspect of their lives. You do not need to have a diagnosis or know exactly what you need from therapy.
My approach to therapy is practical, collaborative, and focused on helping you make meaningful changes in your everyday life. I primarily use cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), while adapting treatment to the needs, goals, and personality of each person I work with.
Rather than simply focusing on eliminating unwanted thoughts, emotions, or behaviors, I help clients understand the patterns that keep them going. We may look at how stress, relationships, habits, avoidance, or the way you respond to difficult thoughts and emotions contribute to feeling stuck. From there, we work together to identify realistic strategies that you can actually use outside of therapy.
I believe therapy should be supportive, but it should also help you challenge patterns that are no longer working for you. My style is conversational and straightforward, and I use humor when appropriate. I want clients to feel comfortable being honest about difficult or embarrassing topics without feeling judged.
Ultimately, my goal is to help you better understand yourself, develop more effective ways of responding to life’s challenges, and build skills that allow you to rely less on therapy over time.
The first session is an opportunity for us to get to know each other and begin figuring out what you would like to change. I’ll ask about what brought you to therapy, what has been going on in your life, and what you hope to get out of our work together. We’ll also talk about relevant parts of your history and what you have already tried.
You do not need to arrive knowing exactly what is wrong or what you want to work on. Part of my job is helping you make sense of what you are experiencing and identify patterns that may be keeping you stuck. I tend to be conversational and ask a lot of questions, but the first session is not an interrogation. You are welcome to ask questions as well.
By the end of the session, my goal is for us to have a clearer understanding of what is going on, what you would like to accomplish, and how therapy might help. If we decide to work together, we will begin developing a practical plan for moving forward.
