Dan Lundy, LPC, has been serving clients for more than 25 years. Learn about his approach below; for more information on Dan, visit his My Background page.
My Approach
By Dan Lundy—Lead Therapist And Founder, The Southern Colorado Hope For Healing Institute
Twenty-five years as a licensed therapist have taught me what works and what doesn’t. To give my clients a head start on the road to healing, I rely on the following principles:
Fees
$125-$150 per session
Some insurances accepted
Authenticity
Some therapists will tell their clients whatever they want to hear. Flattery and hand-holding may cheer you up temporarily, but unless you address the deep-seated issues that are holding you back, you won’t make real progress. I care more about your personal healing and growth than I do my own ego, so I can afford to be direct with you. If I think you’re deceiving yourself in some way, I’ll bring that to your attention so you can make your own assessment. In my experience, most people find my honesty useful and refreshing.
Compassion
I temper the directness of my approach with compassion. It’s an unfortunate truth that many people don’t have anyone in their lives who makes them feel valued. If there’s a lack of love in your life, no one can blame you for feeling fearful, angry, anxious, or depressed. While your situation is undoubtedly unique, everyone—including myself—has experienced similar feelings and can empathize with them. I believe that compassion is a therapeutic imperative and that judgment has no place in a professional counseling session.
Connection
The strength and authenticity of the client-therapist connection matters more than any modality or technique I use. Unfortunately, many therapists lack compassion, people skills, and faith in their clients. As a result, they aren’t able to build an authentic connection with them. Despite whatever degrees and credentials they might hold, their lack of connection severely limits their effectiveness. That’s why I take the time to get to know every client from the very beginning of the therapeutic relationship.
Close Listening
Many clients come to my office with an intense longing to express themselves and their emotions. I’ve seen first-hand the power of being heard and validated, so I make listening a high priority. I believe that most of my clients already know deep down what they need to do to improve their lives, but that knowledge can be obscured or deeply buried within them. To help you uncover it, I will give you the tools and help you develop the emotional stability that will allow you to come to your own conclusions, not tell you what to do. During our sessions, there will only be one expert in the room on how you should live your life: YOU.
A Scientifically Proven Technique
I stay up-to-date on the latest developments in my industry. I might occasionally try something new, but I don’t base my practice around therapeutic models that aren’t scientifically validated. There are plenty of modalities that aren’t evidence-based, so I was initially very skeptical when I heard about a relatively new treatment called Brainspotting.
Brainspotting triggers the brain’s innate ability to heal by taking advantage of the physiological connection between a person’s brain and their visual field. According to Brainspotting founder David Grand, PhD, “Where you look affects how you feel." Brainspotting practitioners use visual cues—including pointers, wands, and lights—to access and trigger healing in the subcortical areas of the brain associated with unhealed emotional trauma. Please watch the video below and visit Brainspotting.com to learn more about this approach.
When I first heard of Brainspotting, I thought it unlikely that waving a wand in front of a person’s face could have any bearing on their mental health. But after hearing first-hand accounts of Brainspotting’s healing power, trying it myself, reviewing the scientific research, and using it on hundreds of clients, I have come to regard Brainspotting as the most effective trauma treatment available.
Everyone has experienced trauma to some degree, even if they don’t realize it. So even if you haven’t experienced obvious and severe trauma, you can still benefit from Brainspotting. Unlike other techniques, Brainspotting doesn’t require any real effort on your part. You don’t even have to talk during sessions if you don’t want to. Once I help you find the brain spot we want to work on, all you need to do is “get out of your own way and let your brain heal itself.”
A 2016 study by The Newtown-Sandy Hook Community Foundation found that Brainspotting is more effective than at least a dozen other types of therapeutic intervention, including talk therapy, equine therapy, EMDR, aromatherapy, and many more. Most Pueblo therapists have yet to discover this powerful technique, but The Southern Colorado Hope for Healing Institute’s licensed therapists have been formally trained in Brainspotting and are eager to help you.
We serve adults and children coping with trauma, depression, anxiety, and compassion fatigue in Pueblo and Colorado Springs. We also offer performance therapy for professional and aspiring athletes of all ages. For a free, 15-minute consultation or to schedule your first appointment, call us at 1-719-271-6677.