Connecticut Counseling Services

About

Professional counseling for you to heal, hope & grow specializing in individuals, couples, family, teenagers, pre & postpartum.

Story

Dana Zuskin,M.S., LMHC, LPC earned her B.A. in Psychology from the University of Miami. While there, she also travelled to Australia for focused studies on emotional intelligence and coping strategies for depression with a particular emphasis on cancer patients. She obtained her Master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling from Florida Atlantic University after completing a practicum/internship at the Center for Group Counseling in Boca Raton, working with a variety of individuals, couples and families, and led counseling groups for individuals dealing with separation and divorce. Dana participated in the Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy Course (PPC) offered by the Florida Psychoanalytic Institute in 2014.

Dana is licensed in both Connecticut and Florida.

Her clinical perspective focuses on developing an understanding of our current behavior, along with our inner thoughts, feelings and beliefs in the context of our past experiences. Underlying her work is the general premise that people are uniquely shaped by their early relationships -- especially family relationships -- and subsequent life experiences. She values each client and acknowledges each individual’s distinctive struggles, strengths, and life choices. She always strives to provide a safe, encouraging, and respectful environment where those committed to therapy are able to find solutions that best fit their lifestyle.

Dana's specializes in working through life transitions including: adolescent stages, going off to college, international students, adjusting to the workforce, relationship issues, and getting married and having children. She also enjoys working with couples on pre and post-marital issues, co-parenting, trust and infidelity issues, family counseling, pre and postpartum counseling to help new mothers and fathers adjust to parenthood, people suffering from depression and anxiety; identity and trauma issues, and career/academic concerns.

While Dana utilizes an integrative approach with clients and tailors this approach to the individual, couple or family she is working with, she often utilizes Psychodynamic and Cognitive Behavioral techniques with her individuals and Imago and Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT) with her couples. Dana has seen a great deal of success with her couples practicing this approach in a short amount of time. In the sessions, Dana utilizes EFT skills to help the couples get in touch with and communicate their early attachment needs, while teaching the partner how to connect and build intimacy through empathic responsiveness. She also teaches couples a strategic dialogue to help them effectively communicate in times of conflict, so each partner leaves the conversation feeling respected and heard.

She considers it an honor and privilege to assist people in attaining their goals through counseling.

Mission

For couples and families: Emotion-focused therapy and Imago Therapy, Attachment-Based, Family Systems

For Individuals: Psychodynamic Therapy, CBT, Motivational Interviewing, Strength-based Therapy, ExposureTherapy for anxiety

I draw from relational psychodynamic framework. This is a depth oriented approach, focused not only on alleviating symptoms, but getting to the root cause of distress. This can lead to lasting change rather than temporary symptom reduction. In addition, this way of working focuses attention on what is happening between therapist and patient as a way to better understand one's inner world and work with it in the room.

I'm curious about your past (what was it like growing up?), your present (what's it like day-to-day for you?), and your future (what do you want?)

My style is warm, collaborative, and thoughtful. I am direct but not directive. Meaning, I will openly share my thoughts and ideas with you but will not tell you what to do.

In addition to utilizing a more depth-oriented approach, I will also use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy as an adjunctive tool to help you assess and gain control of your currents thoughts, behaviors and motivations.

Products

Areas of Expertise
-Couples counseling
-Postpartum counseling
-Life transitions
-Family counseling
-Depression
-Anxiety
-Stress management
-Identity & trauma issues
-Career/academic concerns
Teenagers