About Dan

I am Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC), a Licensed Clinical Addictions Counselor (LCAC), and I am in the process of completing Registered Play Therapist / Supervisor (RPT/S) certification.  I own A New Direction Counseling in northern Indiana. Today, I have over 15 years of experience as a clinician helping children, adults, and families, and supervising therapists.  I also bring a unique collection of business and marketing knowledge stemming from a variety of clinical and personal business ventures over the past 20 years.  I have written for and spoken at a variety of local, national, and international venues, including the Office of National Drug Control, FOX, CNN, NBC, and ABC.

I am a Teacher and an Explorer – I relish the freedom and opportunity to explore new possibilities; that is what drew me and pushed me through the founding a successful and personally authentic private practice.  As a Teacher I thrive on sharing these experiences and knowledge in a systematic, step-by-step process.  That is the part of me that strives to reach out and help other practitioners renew their strength and passion.

I have been through the trials and tribulations of working in our mental health system.  I found a way to thrive in my journey through graduate school, despite the first disheartening words I heard in my first class where the mantra “you won’t make any money in this field”. 

I didn’t get into the the field expecting to be a billionaire; but let’s be honest, nobody wants to be paying off student loans for the rest of their life either!

Much like many of us in the field, I spent my early days working to “SAVE THE WORLD” through my grad school internships in the courts and legal system, and then in my early career with juveniles and their families who were mandated to treatment – not really individuals who wanted to be “saved”.

I was able to spend quite a while in clinical management, supervising therapists and helping them grow.  This was also the time where I learned a considerable amount about business and marketing from a clinical perspetive.  I was afforded considerable experiences through my work with various local and national news media outlets, and The Office of National Drug Control Policy – with whom I still maintain a relationship today. 

I also learned to address the real and scary cost of running a business.  It was a hard lesson, the mission was to save the lives and improve the futures of young people addicted to drugs and alcohol.  But there was a very real business that requires bills paid, and employees taken care of.  The crashing of these two concepts – heart work and the need to thrive financially took quite a while to adapt to. 

Today, the balance of these two concepts is crucial, and quite honestly an enjoyable part, to owning my private practice.  I own and operate an enjoyable enterprise that is able to help many people.  I am also able to explore new possibilites while teaching.

It is my hope to work with you to offer you the same opportunity to find your strength and passion, and to explore the opportunities that are available to you as a successful and authentic clinician and business owner.