Dana Pennington MSW, LCSW
Dana has a waitlist.
Therapy should feel like a collaboration, one where you feel supported, understood, and equipped with the tools to navigate life’s challenges. My approach is practical and adaptable, drawing from evidence based therapies and mind-body techniques, to help you build resilience and confidence. Whether you’re working through anxiety, grief, or major life transitions, I provide guidance and encouragement as you move toward a life that feels more aligned and fulfilling.
My goal is to create a space where you can show up as yourself, explore what matters most, and develop tools that truly fit your life. Together, we’ll work toward clarity, strength, and deeper connection, both with yourself and with others.
Areas of Special Interest
I specialize in men’s mental health, depression, anxiety, stress management, grief, interpersonal relationships, and modern dating. I work exclusively with individuals and bring over 10 years of clinical experience to my practice, helping clients navigate life transitions, emotional challenges, and relationship patterns with clarity and confidence.
My approach is collaborative, practical, and adaptable. I integrate evidence-based therapies such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills, Internal Family Systems (IFS Level 1), and Attachment Theory. I also incorporate mind-body practices including mindfulness, meditation, and hypnosis when appropriate, to support nervous system regulation and deeper self-awareness.
In my work with men and relationships, I draw from Relational Life Therapy alongside trauma and depression-informed approaches. When supporting clients through loss, I use Megan Devine’s grief-informed framework, which honors grief as a natural human experience rather than something to be “fixed”. My goal is to create a space where you feel supported, understood, and equipped with tools that genuinely fit your life, so you can move toward greater resilience, connection, and a life that feels more aligned.
My Philosophy
My philosophy begins with the recognition that each person is unique. I believe in creating comfort and building strong therapeutic rapport as the foundation for meaningful and lasting change.
From there, my work is collaborative and skill-focused, blending evidence-based practices and strategies for nervous system regulation and resilience-building. I aim to provide clients with practical tools that are adaptable to their lives, both during and beyond therapy.
At the heart of my philosophy is the belief that therapy should not only reduce distress but also empower people to build resilience, cultivate growth, and discover lasting change.
Therapeutic Approaches
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Internal Family Systems (Level 1 certification pending)
Attachment Theory
Mindfulness
Hypnotherapy - Level I
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy
Bereavement Counseling
Cognitive Processing Therapy
My Professional Background
I went to UNC Greensboro for my undergraduate degree in psychology. I took a gap year to live abroad and figure out my next direction. My experience doing community service work in South Africa, followed by working with Syrian refugees in Atlanta, I was able to learn that social work was my next step.
I completed my master’s degree in social work at UNC Charlotte. I have worked in a community-based recovery center specializing in both outpatient and intensive outpatient, a combat clinic, the emergency department and now private practice.
Fees and Insurance Information
I am currently paneled with BCBS, Aetna and MedCost. Some insurance companies will partially reimburse for out of network providers, I can provider a superbill for any client who would like to self submit.
Individual Therapy
Intake Session
$225/60min
Individual Therapy
Ongoing Sessions
$175/55min
"The essence of being human is that one does not seek perfection.” - George Orwell