Today we’d like to introduce you to Diana Rose
Hi Diana, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I always knew I wanted a career in mental health. I have forever been fascinated with people’s stories and the unique life experiences that shape each person into who they are. As a therapist, I get to delve into personal stories, provide support and healing, and then ultimately witness the story continuing on through our work together. I have launched my own practice, Diana Rose Psychotherapy, where I provide individual psychotherapy to adults both in-person in North Austin and through telehealth. My business and mission have been built based on my own life experiences providing a foundation of authenticity and openness in my work. I strive to meet people where they are, using a compassionate and strengths-based approach to help clients reach their personalized wellness goals.
I moved to Austin in 2016 to pursue my Master’s in Social Work from The University of Texas at Austin. During my time in grad school, I completed internships in schools and inpatient mental health hospital settings, while also serving my local religious community in their education programs. Following grad school, I spent four years supporting clients in partial hospitalization for mood and anxiety disorders. Most recently, I have been gaining outpatient clinical experience and mentorship through local group practices. My training in a variety of settings and levels of care has shaped my understanding of mental health across the lifespan and a wide range of human experiences.
I grew up in Baton Rouge, attending a small school that fostered close relationships, progressive values, and safety in the learning environment. I was instilled with the idea that everyone has a place of belonging within a community. My family was not originally from the deep south, so growing up in Louisiana meant it was often a challenge for me to feel like I fit in. While my school was nurturing and supportive, I needed more. I was eager to make friends outside my small school community and spent many summers at sleep-away camp in Mississippi. It was a home away from home that introduced me to a community of people who felt, as I did, that they didn’t always fit in. Looking back now, it’s clear that a hugely impactful part of these communities were the connections I made with mentors like my teachers and camp counselors. I knew, even then, that one day I wanted to be the safe person that nurtured a sense of belonging for others.
In high school, I found my next home away from home at a leadership summer camp in New York, where I really found my confidence and a true sense of belonging. I spent time as a participant and staff member, and during graduate school I returned to camp, serving the community as a mental health professional. Sadly, in 2019, this camp faced closure and I spent my last summer there as a member of the leadership team, providing mental health support to the entire camp. Weirdly enough, my small school in Baton Rouge also closed in 2019. Experiencing these foundational places in my life coming to an end was untethering and filled me with grief. I have learned the importance of carrying the memories of both places with me, as they played a pivotal role in making me the person I am today. It has become my mission to recreate a space built on true connection, intentionality, and acceptance. I weave this mission into my work everyday through my brand and my therapeutic practice.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has been a long road to get to where I am now; Owning my own practice and standing on solid ground to guide others in their healing. Years of working in acute mental health settings throughout COVID, a lifetime of overcommitting myself, and existing in the world as a Highly Sensitive Person contributed greatly to my own experience with burnout. I spent a year unable to work, struggling with serious limitations. I decided to forge ahead by engaging in my own trauma work. This meant relearning who I was and the boundaries I needed to set in order to regain capacity to give to others again. It’s hard to be honest with yourself about needing a break. Especially in the mental health field, it is difficult to admit you are struggling with your own wellness. I had to ask myself, “You think you know how to heal others, but can you heal yourself? And if not, what are you even doing?” It’s been clear to me that the time I spent focusing on my own healing has equipped me to support others dealing with burnout and healing their mental health. I feel immensely proud of my recovery and have emerged confident in the hope I offer others that they can heal too.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Diana Rose Psychotherapy, PLLC?
I specialize in supporting clients who are neurodivergent, living with Autism or ADHD, or identify as a Highly Sensitive Person. I work with individuals struggling with burnout, anxiety, OCD, depression, and trauma. I offer personalized goal-setting, specific skills, a safe place to process, and targeted healing interventions.
I create a space founded on safe, genuine relationship, and I warmly invite my clients to find themselves within that relationship. I have to fully be myself in order for others to feel safe in discovering and practicing being their true self. That is the basis of unmasking and neurodiversity-affirming therapy. Healing is based in discovering who you are, owning it, and building your life intentionally around it. For me this meant building a practice that accommodates my own needs and honors my limits so I can genuinely show up as my truest and fullest self for my clients.
When it comes to healing trauma, one service I offer is brainspotting. Brainspotting is a revolutionary therapy tool that heals trauma from the inside out. I use an extendable “wand” to locate points in your visual field that unlock and express stuck emotions. The path to healing is “through,” and brainspotting is the vehicle. Brainspotting is what allowed me to access my own healing on the deepest level. I bring it to my clients with the context of my own experience as a brainspotting client. I offer reassurance and guidance as you navigate difficult emotions and deep processing.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
Throughout my career, I have encountered people from all walks of life, of all ages, and with completely different histories and circumstances. One thing has shown to be consistent. Everyone is doing the best they can with what they have and everyone’s best is different. This was a core value from the leadership training I received at camp. I truly believe this sentiment, and it is the foundation of the compassion that drives every interaction I have with clients.
Pricing:
- Free 15-minute consultation call
- $175 / 55 min individual therapy session
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.dianarosetherapy.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dianarosetherapy/
- Other: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/diana-rose-austin-tx/1152099
