Therapy that Leverages Nature’s Healing Properties
A member of JWU Providence’s Clinical Health Counseling program’s first graduating cohort, Danielle Gagnon ’16 M.S. uses nature as a synergistic component of her counseling strategy. Throughout her career, she has practiced experiential therapeutic modalities and integrating the healing nature of the outdoors.
Gagnon currently practices in Utah, where she became a licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor. In the last few years, she has primarily worked with adolescents who have struggled with anxiety, depression, trauma, substance use and emotional regulation.
Gagnon has trained and is certified in many clinical modalities, including Brain Spotting, Trauma-Focused CBT and SMART Recovery; she is also Safe Zone-certified for working with the LGBTQ+ population. She believes these forms of therapy create a space to allow students to access negative memories or feelings, and then release them, allowing the brain and body to heal.
She has recently joined Evoke Therapy in Utah as a wilderness therapist. Wilderness therapy is an alternative therapy that takes place outdoors; it has been shown to help patients overcome addiction, psychological disorders, stress, and past trauma by exposing them to challenging situations in nature.
When not at work, Gagnon focuses on travel and outdoor adventures, including road trips, hiking, kayaking, and other forms of wilderness exploration.