Damali Reales
Damali Reales is Registered Social Work Intern. She specializes in working with
teens and young adults struggling with Anxiety and including OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder). OCD symptoms can show up as constantly worrying without being able to stop, experiencing obsessions and/or rituals that one has to do in order to prevent something bad from happening (compulsions).
Her passion is in helping individuals overcome fear and anxiety to become the person they want to be. She uses a number of techniques to manage fear, anxiety, and depression including Exposure-Reponse Prevention Treatment, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT).
She helps her clients build the life they want for themselves by helping them develop coping skills to manage both day-to-day and situational stressors (bullying, pressure from peer groups, academic pressure, etc.). She believes that her emphasis on radical acceptance and mindfulness practice helps many clients to feel safe and to learn to accept the reality of what is and is not in their control.
Damali has extensive experience in child welfare case management where she saw firsthand how mental health and functioning are not only attributed to a person’s mind but also are influenced largely by social, political, and economic circumstances. Her goal is to develop a relationship/environment where her clients feel safe and comfortable exploring who they are and who they would like to be. She is not a therapist who wishes to erase external experiences but rather works within those experiences to help her clients build the life they want.
Her favorite quote is “We need to accept that we won't always make the right decisions, that we'll screw up royally sometimes - understanding that failure is not the opposite of success, it's part of success." Arianna Huffington
When Damali is not working, she enjoys talking about everything and nothing with her friends and family. She also enjoys reading, baking performing improv comedy, lifting weights, and laughing. She enjoys practicing Yoga, specifically a Yoga with Adrienne video. She does a really good job of establishing a space that feels purposeful and intentional.
Her specializations include:
- Teen, Young Adult & Individual Counseling
- Obsessive Compulsive Behavior
- Exposure Response Treatment for OCD
- Anxiety, Depression, and Fear
- Teens at risk
- LGBTQ youth issues
Insurances Accepted: Aetna & Cigna