My name is Danika Grundemann and I use she/her pronouns. I'm glad you're here!

How I came to be a psychotherapist

Not only was therapy instrumental in my own healing from a history of trauma as a young adult, but it also seemed like a fortification of skills I already possessed. I was 28 years old when I set out to become a therapist, and I had already entertained other careers, like being a barista, personal chef, business owner, and custom picture framer. I had also been acting at that point for 16 years, since the age of six. When I learned that therapists needed to listen with the whole body and for things beyond just words, to be comfortable with failure, and to deeply understand emotions, I couldn’t help but think of all the acting I’d done throughout my life and how those were the exact skills I sharpened. I also deeply cared about helping others the way I had been helped by my therapists. So, all in all, therapy seemed like a perfect path, and I love what I do.

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What I'd like people to know about working with me

I want prospective clients to know that I value humor deeply and mine will spill out into our work. I think finding a good therapist is like finding a dear friend; you just don’t have compatibility with everyone. I like to tell my clients that if the vibe isn’t right — one of mutual respect, vulnerability, and honesty — then find another therapist. Don't waste your time; life is far too short. I enjoy working with clients who also value humor. Culturally, I am an artist and a performer, and I am also polyamorous.

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What makes me qualified and competent to work with folx who have diverse intersectional identities

Well, in short, I have a diverse and intersectional identity too! I identify as a White, temporarily able-bodied, bisexual, non-monogamous, kinky woman.

The longer answer is that in addition to my lived experience and personal lifestyle, I have engaged in research and higher education in working with folx of diverse identities for the last decade. I'd like to share with you some of the places I've had the privilege to work and some of the trainings I've undergone to increase my cultural competencies:

• I have worked at the Bay Area's own Queer LifeSpace clinic in the Castro district of beloved San Fransisco.

• I did my graduate training at CIIS's own community mental health clinic in the Mission district of San Fransisco - The Clinic Without Walls - serving all walks of life with FREE individual, couples, family, and group therapy.

• I have worked in addiction and substance dependence at Humanistic Alternatives to Addiction Research and Treatment, one of the last remaining non-profit methadone clinics in the entire country.

• I have served hundreds of systematized youth and families with therapy, wraparound services, resources, and community building efforts, at Fred Finch Youth & Family Services in beautiful Oakland, CA.

• Most of the professionals listed on my resource page I have trained under or consulted with directly.

The following are important formal trainings I've enjoyed:

• “Cross Cultural Conversations to better serve youth and families”

• “Best Practices for Working with LGBTQ Children and Youth”

• “Increasing cultural competency for providing treatment to African-American T.A.Y. and adults,” through Alameda County

• “Working with Latino families” with Carlos Disdier, PsyD

• Membership - White Affinity Group - monthly training for racial justice at Fred Finch Youth & Family Services Agency

 

What I do to continue learning as a provider

I love learning! It is one of the main draws for me to this profession. We have to continue learning; our licensure depends on it and our clients depend on it. I have a great interest in narrative, somatic, mindfulness, feminist and CBT therapies so I'm always gobbling up information on those. However, when I have a client with an issue or struggle that I'm not yet competent in treating (most recently, this manifested as body dysmorphia), I seek out continuing education. I read, I research, and I consult with professionals that know more than me. Learning for me is a huge component of mental health hygiene. What's the last new thing you learned?

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The research-based work that I've found particularly exciting lately

Since I treat mood disorders like anxiety, I have found researching the gut-brain connection to be particularly fascinating. As a former raw-and-living food chef and a self-taught nutritionist, I feel a great deal of hope for new research on how changes in diet can potentially reduce anxiety by increasing the health of the gut microbiome. Having food sensitivities, gut issues, and anxiety myself, this line of interest is definitely one I will follow and utilize for myself and for my clients in collaboration with their doctors and/or nutritionists.

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