Grief counselors and therapists in Encino, CA

My goal with therapy is to provide a safe and open space to process and prioritize a growth mindset. I tailor my therapeutic approach to best match the needs of the client and truly believe in promoting acceptance. Some modalities I have experience with and may incorporate into therapy are Acceptance Compassion Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Solution Focused, Client-Centered, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Here-and-now Counseling, Trauma-Informed, and Holistic. I have a passion for working with individuals who are looking to unpack complex emotions and experiences that have shaped their understanding of the world.

I have worked in the field of social services for over 31 years. I have experience working with adult survivors of child abuse, child neglect, domestic violence, commercial exploitation, and rape. I have experience working with adults dealing with anxiety, depression, divorce, family separation, and caretaker fatigue. I also have experience working with adults dealing with significant life/career changes, and those dealing with crisis situations.

Born in Vietnam and raised in the United States, my career has spanned work as a classroom teacher, registered financial advisor, technical and relational manager, and EAP counselor for Fortune 500 companies. With additional training in substance abuse, employee assistance programs, and LGBTQ+ affirmative therapy, I combine practical real-world experience with compassionate, identity-affirming care.

My name is Jeffrey W. Danese, MS, MA, LMHC, LPCC, and I am a licensed mental health counselor in Washington State and California, currently based in Sacramento. I bring over 15 years of clinical experience across private practice, inpatient and outpatient mental health settings, and college counseling, along with a an academic background teaching psychology, religious studies, and the history of science in higher education from UCSB, FSU, and 10 years at SJSU to various community colleges in the Puget Sound region and in North Florida and cross-cultural experiences such as living in Taiwan, Zambia, Germany and traveling around the world; I studied Spanish, German, and Chinese language, world history and religions, psychology, evolutionary psychology and the cognitive science of religion; was raised Catholic but ordained as a Buddhist monk in Thailand; and continue to meditate, explore and read broadly. One of my favorite quotes is by the Roman writer, Terence: "I am human and there is nothing human foreign to me." (or, Homo sum, humani nihil a me alienum puto. -- Publius Terentius Afer, 165 BCE)