Danielle is a psychotherapist working with the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health. After receiving her MA in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University, she served her community by teaching classes and providing therapy to men and women impacted by incarceration in Los Angeles.

Danielle currently provides trauma-informed treatment to teens experiencing incarceration in East LA. She is the lead clinician of a specialized unit housing female-identified youth victimized by sex trafficking or suffering complex trauma.

To ensure longevity as a frontline provider of critical mental health treatment, Danielle consciously makes her own wellness a daily priority. The use of grounding activities, incorporation of mindfulness theories into workout routines, and practice of gratitude and compassion with herself and others work to ensure that her "wellness cup" is full before attempting to pour into others'.

Through her work, Danielle aims to decrease negative stereotypes that deter many folks, especially those of racial and sexual minorities, from accessing appropriate mental health services. Danielle's ultimate goal is to open a juvenile justice reentry center that will provide well-informed, holistic services to this underserved and often forgotten population.

[00:01 – 02:15] Introduction of Guest

• I introduce our guest, Danielle Dyer

[02:16 – 03:25] Wellness Tip of the Week

• Stay home and keep safe during this holiday season

[03:26 – 10:16] Who is Danielle Dyer?

• Danielle talks about her background.
• • Music and dancing have become a life force for her.
  • He shares his childhood growing up in Carson, California.

• Danielle talks about the wellness practices she is doing to keep herself healthy during the COVID pandemic.
• Danielle's gratitude list. She talks about the people who played the most significant roles in shaping who she is today.

[10:17 – 24:21] Mental Wellness is for Everyone

• Danielle shares her journey to becoming a mental health clinician.
• • Helping people impacted by incarceration
  • Transferring to the Department of Health in LA County and working with youth facing incarceration

• Danielle shares tips on how you can help and support people (friends, family, relatives, etc.) impacted by incarceration
• • Take the time to be empathetic.

• Danielle taps into the successes of some of her clients and challenges rising, especially with COVID.

[24:22 – 29:32] Wellness Cup

• "Everyone is healing too." Danielle shares her experience with also undergoing therapy.
• Keeping himself at his optimal mental and physical health before he tries and helps anybody else.

[29:33 – 39:10] The Manifestation Segment

• What are your hopes, or where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?
• • "I'm not necessarily chasing after anything specific."
  • Just making sure that my energy and vibration is matching what it is that I want to bring.
  • Bringing in more clarity about my gifts and purpose and fulfill that purpose.
  • I want to make big strides towards my goal of opening a juvenile justice reentry center.

• Connect with Danielle. See the links below.
• What's your relationship with money as a therapist?

[39:11 – 43:42] The BOI Talk and Hop Segment

• My favorite food is
• • My mom's macaroni and cheese

• Love is
• • Everything

• My favorite book is
• • The Alchemist
  • The Fifth Agreement
  • All About Love

• Your wake-up song is
• • It depends on the day.

• If you could spend the day with anyone dead or alive, who would it be, and what would you do?
• • My granny. I would just want to talk to her.

• Wellness is
• • Priority

• Danielle is
• • Dynamic

Tweetable Quotes:

"In our society, we discard those people, you know? We think we call them felons, or we don't think that they deserve to participate in society once they get out. And I felt that really on my heart to connect with these people and show them that yes, you are worthy of love. Yes, you are worthy of resources. You are worthy of a beautiful life." – Danielle Dyer

"What I hear the most from people who are incarcerated is that they just want to not be forgotten." – Danielle Dyer

"Mental health is very important. It starts to impact your physical health and your relationships if you don't take care of it. So that's just important for me to make sure that I'm good before I try to make anybody else good." – Danielle Dyer

Connect with Danielle on Instagram @deesdyery, and Twitter @_JayCassidy_

Learn more about Evolve Benton at https://www.evolvebenton.com/

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