Dana L Hall
Dana is passionate about creating work that matters.
As a clinical therapist with over 15 years in practice, she is an expert in the field of trauma, relational issues, and mood management. Her clinical work led her to fall in love with the power of the narrative. She has created a professional life dedicated to advocacy, wellness, theatre, public speaking, and writing. Her projects all center around authenticity, inclusion, and creating a lasting difference.
Embracing who I am as a woman, advocate, clinician, author and educator allows me to bring authenticity and vulnerability to the work I do.
An Overview:
Dana Hall received her BA in psychology, summa cum laude, and graduated degree in community agency counseling from Saint Xavier University, Chicago Il. She is a licensed clinical professional counselor for over 15 years in the state of Illinois. She holds advanced training and certification in the following areas: Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP-II), Certified Clinical Anxiety Treatment Professional (ICATP), Certified Family Trauma Specialist (IATP), and an Addictions-Informed
Professional (CAIMHP-Certification).
Dana has nearly two decades of clinical, research, and leadership experience in the field of psychology. As a private practice therapist, she specializes in chronic illness
management, trauma, and relational issues. She successfully leverages her clinical work with social justice advocacy as an author, public speaker, and activist for inclusion and trauma-informed practices in education and counseling.
She is an accomplished author with two new books which debuted this year: Beyond Words: A Child’s Journey
Through Apraxia and We All Belong: Musings on Inclusion, Acceptance and Kindness. She has been featured in Chicago Parent Magazine, and written articles for
Deep Soulful Love and A Chronic Voice.
She delivered the Keynote address for the
national Spondyloarthritis National convention 2020 and has been published in print magazine Spondylitis Plus.
She founded the #BeyondWords Movement on social media
to create awareness for neurodiverse children and adults.
She is married and has three young children who keep her grounded, thankful, and hopeful for a brighter future.
Start where you are.
The best advice I have ever received when questioning how to proceed in life: start where you are.
For so long I felt that the pieces of who I am were divergent, and secondary to my work as a clinician.
As a therapist we are taught to walk with our clients as they lead us down the pathways of their life. We walk along side them or behind them in their journey. Occasionally we shine our light in the darkness to help them to see around the bend, but it is not our journey.
Perhaps, this is what fostered my feeling I had to choose one role, therapist, and forsake the other pieces of myself. This was not accurate. You can embrace all the things that make you who you are and it only enriches the journey you walk with others.