Jamie Dana, MC, LPC
Jamie Dana, MC, LPC, is the founder and clinical director of Elevate Counseling,
where she helps teens and adults overcome mental roadblocks and achieve their goals to live an elevated life. Mental Health Specialties include research-based interventions to address stress and anxiety, parenting, adolescent development, trauma, self-esteem, eating issues and the struggles of the gifted and high-achieving population.
For more information about her techniques, services and additional resources to help you succeed, check her out at www.elevatecounselingaz.com or follow her on FACEBOOK and INSTAGRAM. You can also Contact her to schedule an initial appointment today
Compassionate Curiosity: Understanding And Building Trust With Your Child
I remember a night several years ago when my boys were young. It was late in the evening, well after our nightly bedtime routine of bathtime and books. I was in my own bed,...
The Secret Recipe For Enticing Your Kids Into Healthier Eating
Have mealtimes in your home become a battle of the wills, with your kids turning up their noses at the nutritious meal you just prepared? Eating well doesn't have to be hard or boring,...
Are You A People Pleaser? Learn To Say No
Let’s imagine an all-too-familiar scenario for many:
You've planned a day (or maybe even just part of an afternoon) for yourself. You’re looking forward to decompressing and relaxing for a few, precious moments. You deserve...
The Key To Motivating Rather Than Micromanaging
How Do We Motivate Our Kids Into Action?
Every December I do a year in review and start planning my goals and resolutions for the year ahead. Reflecting upon successes and failures, and recalibrating based...
Worried About Family Conflict Over The Holiday Ham?
If you spend any time watching Lifetime's Countdown To Christmas, you'd get the impression that the Holiday season is about families filled with peace and love gathered around golden turkeys cooked to perfection. But...
Teen Anxiety: Normal “Growing Pains” Or Something Serious?
The teen years are tough for everyone: parents and teens alike.
Having two teenage boys myself, I can speak from professional and personal experience. Riding the daily mood swings of a teen can lead...
What To Look For In A Child Therapist
The Right Counselor Can Foster Resilience And Growth
As many as one in six children have a diagnosable Mental Health Disorder (nami.org), and finding the right counselor or child therapist to guide these children through the...
How To Fight The School Anxiety Monster
For a lot of kids, the final weeks of summer mean anticipating new school clothes, learning about future teachers and looking forward to catching up with last year's school friends. But for others, the...
Creating Space For Exploring Different Opinions In Your Home
Opening Up Lines Of Communication On Differing Opinions
One of the most sacred aspects of my job as a mental health therapist, especially when working with teens, is watching a person grapple with new ideas...
Raising A Socially Smart Teen: Tips For Social Media Use
Full disclosure: I'm not a TikTok user.
My husband will share social media videos of "Bunny" the internet-famous Sheepadoodle who uses assistive technology to "talk" to his owner. My teenage boys converse about the latest...
Don’t Think Of A Polar Bear: Addressing Disruptive Thoughts
Have you ever had a seemingly irrational thought or worry get stuck in your head no matter how hard you tried to ignore it?
Humans, on average, have over 20,000 thoughts on any given day....
5 Self-Care Gifts For Your Highly Stressed Friends
For many people, this past year has illuminated the need for slowing down and taking care of their own mental well-being. Consider giving the gift of self-care to your loved ones this holiday season...
Struggling To Sleep? Changes You Can Make To Get Those Zzz’s
1 out of 3 Americans report that they don't get enough sleep each night.
Imagine this: You find yourself laying in bed struggling to fall asleep. Again. You look at the clock. It's 3:00 am....
Keeping The Peace In Teen Dating
Do you think that emotional or physical abuse could possibly be a part of your teen's dating life?
Most people answer with an emphatic “NO” to this question. In fact, 81% of adults say that...
What Is Mindfulness And Why Do Kids Need It?
The Key To Managing Life's Ups & Downs May Be Mindfulness
Adversity comes at us from the moment we are born. Infants get hungry and tired. Toddlers grapple with language and emotional control. And as...
Does Your Child Experience Stress? 4 D’s To Stop A Worry Spiral
We often associate stress with adulthood, but our youth face plenty of challenges and changes. In fact, the American Psychological Association reports 42% of youth experience stress, but feel they don't have the tools...
How To Talk With Your Kids About The Death Of A Pet
The first major addition to our household was our dog, Waldo. The memory of driving home with our new little puppy in my lap always brings a smile to my face. He taught my...
Is It Self-Sabotage? Understanding The Keys To Motivation
Understanding How Your Motivators Drive You
I often hear people say that they are "self-sabotagers." They use this term to explain perceived failures such as procrastinating work projects, failed romantic relationships, dieting mishaps, or unmet...
Planting Seeds For A Growth Mindset
When I moved to the Valley in my 20s, I noticed all the browns of the surrounding mountains and asked, "where are the colors?" I wasn't accustomed to a desert landscape. But over time,...
Using “Passion Projects” To Teach Motivation
Last year, my oldest son came home from school with a big grin on his face. "Mom, I get to pick my own project at school. They are giving us time to do something...
Fostering Resilience In Our Kids
When I think about my childhood, I often see it through a soft-lighted filter. I remember fond memories of carefree summer evenings playing flashlight tag with friends. While this is certainly a part of...
Teaching Our Kids To Value Themselves Beyond Achievement
Psychology shows it’s a big mistake to base our self-worth on our achievements.
Not too long ago, my son came home disappointed about his performance on a standardized English test. Although he did very well,...
Why Is Procrastination So Tempting? Motivating Past Good Intentions
The irony that this blog post on procrastination has sitting in my "ideas" file for months, just waiting for me to put the final touches on it is not lost on me. Other, more...
Want Your Child To Share Their Problems? Tips For Active Listening
There’s no question that the middle school and high school years are tough, for both kids and parents. It's arguably more important than ever to have open channels of communication with our youth, as one...
5 Tips To Support A Grieving Friend Through A Loss
"There Are Some Things You Learn Best In Calm, & Some In Storm" - Willa Cather
My family lived in South Carolina when I was a teenager. Many years, during hurricane season, a tropical storm...