Danielle Dellner, PhD

My name is Danielle Dellner, I'm so happy you're here! A little bit about me... I came to this profession by learning I had a knack for befriending and just sitting with all types of people. I truly enjoy people and hearing their stories. One of the biggest honors in my career has been bearing witness to human healing, growth and the ability to thrive. I believe in the power of allowing ourselves to be human, and in the healing power of connection, compassion and community. In addition to evidence-based practice, I use creativity to help my clients find and live their unique strengths. I have been a psychologist for over 15 years. I earned my Bachelor's degree in Anthropology with a minor in Education Studies from the University of California - Los Angeles and completed both a Master's and Doctoral degree in clinical psychology at Alliant International University (formerly the California School of Professional Psychology) in Los Angeles. My emphasis was individual, family and couples therapy. In my career I've had an array of clinical experiences. I've held leadership positions in a variety of clinical settings: long-term therapeutic community, inpatient mental health, inpatient drug and alcohol rehabilitation, wilderness therapy centers and outpatient mental health. I have also taught and trained clinicians, interns and practicum students in addition to undergraduate college courses. More recently in February 2023, I joined the Behavioral Health team at Peace Health St. Joseph's Medical Center in Bellingham, WA where I work as the inpatient psychologist, providing psychological consultations for medically hospitalized patients and brief psychotherapy on the inpatient behavioral health unit. In my tenure at St. Joseph's, I've had the opportunity to implement strategies to reduce restraint use, provide trainings on trauma-informed care and on addressing provider's experiences of feeling unsafe at work. My interests include body-based approaches to healing trauma, such as somatic experiencing and teaching my clients skills to regulate their nervous systems, as well as outdoor, art and group experiential therapy. In my free time, you will find me seeing live music, skiing, backpacking, snowshoeing, sea kayaking and traveling.