Dylan Harrell, M.S.

• Ph.D., Counseling Psychology, Louisiana Tech University (in progress)
• M.S., Psychology, University of Louisiana at Lafayette
• B.S., Psychology, University of Louisiana at Lafayette

Being human and experiencing life has many challenges and hardships. Oftentimes, the things that mean the most to us (i.e., family, relationships, academics, etc.) provoke many undesirable experiences (i.e., anxiety, isolation, depression, etc.). I work primarily from an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy framework that emphasizes mindfulness in order for you to live life in a way of value. Our work will primarily focus on:

1) Opening up. By redefining your relationship with undesirable experiences.
2) Being Present. Finding ways to show up in the moment even if you are distressed.
3) Doing what matters. Finding ways for you to be the person you want to be.

I believe in meeting clients where they are, being genuine as we work together, and assisting in the change that you want to see. I ask clients to press pause on difficult, meaningful experiences in order to process those challenges together while learning to step back from overwhelming thoughts. Let’s work together to empower you to choose what you want to do versus what difficult experiences (i.e., anxiety, depression, trauma, etc.) tell you to do.

Professional Interest: Family of Origin Concerns, Identity Development, LGBTQ+ Issues, Sexual Self-Esteem, Sexual Guilt, Sex/Health Education, Sexual Dysfunction, Suicidal Ideation, & Self-Harm

Cultural Humility argues that it is our duty as human beings to engage in critical self-reflection, challenge power imbalances, and hold one another accountable. Cultural humility is a major cornerstone of my professional and personal values and I strive to be a cultural humble person. I utilize empathic curiosity to challenge and explore my own identities, privilege, and biases to grow and develop as I connect to unique people. Often in therapy a culturally humble approach looks like me acknowledging power dynamics, exploring differences in identities, being open to experiences, and owning up to internal biases in the therapeutic relationship to strengthen our connection to one another and meet the needs of clients’ multiple, intersecting identities. As a queer cisgender man, I have experienced many times that I did not allow myself to live a genuine, authentic life and do not want the same for my clients. I find that cultural humility in the therapy room allows for clients to show up as their authentic selves and be genuine in our work together.