About Daniela Kopec, LPC-S

Daniela has 20 years of experience working as a counselor in the mental health field. Though she has experience working with clients across the life span, she has found that she is most passionate about walking alongside those that have experienced trauma, addressing the symptoms of anxiety and depression that are often co-ocurring. Daniela believes in utilizing an integrative approach to health and wellness that looks at mind, body and spirt, and is motivated to give people the tools to develop their inner strength and confidence to make the changes they desire. Native to the Soldotna community, Daniela has called Alaska home for many years. When not working with clients, Daniela can be found spending time in the sun, doing active Yoga, and enjoying time with her family.

EDUCATION & TRAINING:

Daniela trained as a mental health clinician at Appalachian State University where she obtained her master’s degree in Community Counseling. Prior to that she attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she obtained her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology. In accordance with AK state law, she is a Licensed Professional Counselor (#494). Daniela is also certified as a Licensed Professional Counselor - Supervisor in the State of Alaska, which allows her to provide supervision to other professionals in the field who are seeking licensure as professional counselors.

EXPERIENCE:

Daniela has been practicing counseling since 2004 and has experience working with adults, youth, and families ages 5 - elderly. Daniela began her professional career working in a residential treatment center for youth, then transitioned in early 2015 to a community mental health center working with adults and children who struggle with significant mental health challenges and functional impairments. Daniela has experience working collaboratively with other providers to offer integrated and wholistic care. She specializes in treating trauma and seeks to provide a brain-body baed experience that allows for deep healing and lasting change.

COUNSELING PERSPECTIVE:

Daniela believes in a wholistic perspective that serves to treat the entire person - mind, body, and spirit. Her therapeutic framework is shaped by trauma informed care, internal family systems concepts, attachment theory, cognitive-behavior theory, brain-body based modalities, and neuroscience. In an effort to help individuals develop cohesion and integration within themselves for true and lasting healing, Daniela works with clients to address both conscious, and at times, unconscious material, that may be impacting their ability to thrive in everyday life. The impact of lived experience on the body is an important element of Daniela’s work with individuals, and is an integral aspect of the care she offers. Daniela also provides guidance on effective strategies to regulate emotions and reactions, as well as skills to navigate healthy relationships with others. With specialized training in working with individuals who have histories of trauma, Daniela also believes it is important to help people reprocess unresolved issues of distress that contribute to current suffering and limit life satisfaction. Daniela strives to create a safe and trusting space that allows for authenticity and meaningful connection in the therapuetic relationship. She has a special interest in working with those who struggle with trauma, anxiety, and depression, and is passionate about helping people find their inner value and confidence to create change in their lives. Daniela uses an integrative and multifaceted approach to best meet the needs of each individual client she serves. Interventions may include, but are not limited to, psychoeducation, talk therapy, CBT, DBT, EMDR, Brainspotting, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, Motivational Interviewing, mindfulness, movement, parts work, art, play, and experiential activities.