Dan Meier, MA, LMHCA

Adoption Savvy Associate

My name is Dan Meier and I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor Associate in the state of Washington (License # MC 60751861). Born and raised in the Midwest, I received my Bachelor of Arts in Psychology in 2014 from Taylor University, a small liberal arts college in northern Indiana. Shortly after obtaining my BA, I moved to Seattle to attend The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology, where in 2017, I received my Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology. Following graduation, I spent a year teaching at The Seattle School as a Practicum Facilitator. My work involved teaching future counselors how to explore their stories, developed their self-awareness, and grow their relational capacities. In addition to my educational training and teaching work, I have many years of experience building therapeutic relationships with children, teenagers, young adults, and families, primarily within the contexts of community mental health, higher education, foster care, and the non-profit world.

I see counseling as a collaborative relationship between counselor and client, where we work together to understand the ways in which your story is impacting your current situation and uncover new ways to integrate your story with who you really are. I’m deeply passionate about my counseling work and love getting to walk alongside people as they delve into their stories and rediscover their inherent ability to affect meaningful change within their lives. In my personal experiences with therapy, I have seen how relationship and self-understanding open the door to a deeper, more integrated life.

Working with the foster care industry as a mental health counselor has given me a tremendous respect for the parents and family members who have made the choice to support and love children who come from difficult homes. Working with the survival behaviors kids and teens bring with them into their placement families can be challenging and discouraging. When faced with difficult behaviors, it is easy to personalize and enter into self-blame. These children often have no idea how to connect with others in a healthy way. Bridging the gap between foster and adoptive parents and their children is crucial. In my counseling work with foster/adoptive children and their families, I emphasize creating meaningful connection and understanding, addressing the painful wounds that exist on both sides, and creating a safe family system that encourages vulnerability and support.