Dana Nygaard, MA, LPC

LICENSED PROFESSIONAL COUNSELOR

Dana Nygaard is a Licensed Professional Counselor with a private office in Plano, Texas. She received a Bachelor of Secondary Education from the University of North Texas and her Master of Art in Counseling from Dallas Baptist University.  She is a professional member of the Catholic Psychotherapy Association and proudly serves the Diocese of Dallas as a Marriage Readiness Assessor. 

Dana's approach to counseling is unique in that it balances proven psychotherapy techniques with authentic Catholic spirituality. The result is that her clients often experience rapid healing; quickly developing useful coping skills, positive communication techniques, find the courage to set boundaries and discover healthy perspectives to navigate the challenges of daily life. 

Mrs. Nygaard has completed Level I Training in Gottman™ Method Couples Therapy, and uses the Gottman Method Couples Therapy in her work.

Dana and her husband, David, are the creators and facilitators of Cana Marriage Retreats.  Cana Marriage Retreats form couples to live out a deeper level of loving intimacy through faithful understanding of what it means to live a valid and sacramental marriage through experiential exercises.

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES AND MEMBERSHIPS

• Marriage Readiness Assessor of Diocese of Dallas

• Rachel's Vineyard volunteer therapist

• Chastity Speaker for the Catholic Pro-Life Committee of Dallas

• Catholic Psychotherapy Association

• Catholictherapists.com

Additional Training

• TBRI Caregiver Training (Trust Based Relational Intervention: A Holistic Approach for Children Who Have Experienced Traumas and Their Caregivers)

• Sounds Like Healing

• Mobilizing the Unspeakable: Healing Trauma Through Dance/Movement

• Instinctual Role Parts of the ANS: A Psychodramatic Exploration

• Prevention of Vicarious Trauma Through Visual Journaling

• Therapeutic Art Interventions for Non-Art Therapists

• Art Therapy Experiential

• Write to Thrive

• Treating Couples Affected by Trauma

• Sidewalk Counseling (Catholic Pro-Life Committee - Diocese of Dallas, TX)

• Holy Spirit 101 graduate

• Diocesan Engaged Marriage Preparation Process Training (Family Life Department - Diocese of Dallas, TX)

• Legal and Licensing Issues; What every therapist should know

• The Neurobiology of Trauma and and the Need for Body Based Therapies

• Certified Presenter of Recognizing and Reporting Child Abuse

• Enhancing Patient Centered Reproductive Care: Understanding and Addressing Unmet Ethical and Clinical Concerns

• Learning, Educating & Networking to Serve & Engage Survivors

• Couples Therapy Bootcamp: Merging Modalities

• Shaking the Blues: Treating Depression and Bipolar Disorders

• Child Parent Relationship Therapy

• Wounded Healer to Worthy Helper

• Handling Meltdowns of Older Students and Adults

• Process Addiction Part 1: What is it and How to Identify it

• Love and Logic

• Trauma Training Program at Timberlawn Hospital

• Kids in Court

• The Assertive Person: Getting What You Need and Want Respectfully

• Get a Grip on Your Anger: Transforming Anger into Passion

• Darkness to Light

• Borderline Personality Disorders with DBT Techniques

SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS

• Dallas Ministry Conference, “From Crisis to Cana - Caring for the Mission of Marriage”

• Teach4Life: “Talking About the Hard Topics”