Desa Daniel

she/her

EducatorCounselorSpiritual care practitionerPublic speakerConsultantResearcherCounselor to other Mental Health Providers

Credentials: Licensed Professional Counselor Candidate (LPCC.0023756); National Certified Counselor (NCC), NCC 959101; State of New Mexico, Licensed Mental Health Counselor (CMH0191981); Ph.D from the University of New Mexico in Counselor Education and Supervision

Contact

About

Dr. Dèsa Karye Daniel is a licensed mental health counselor in New Mexico and Colorado and an assistant professor at the University of Colorado Denver. A 2026 UPEP fellow and recipient of a psychedelic natural medicine research grant, Dr. Daniel brings her clinical expertise into her work by focusing on how racial and ethnic dynamics shape mental health experiences in academic and professional settings. In her clinical practice, she provides affirming, culturally responsive care to BIPOC communities in Colorado and New Mexico. Her counseling work is informed by her research on the psychological impacts of systemic racism—particularly the effects of stress and racial battle fatigue on Black and Brown womxn in leadership and professional roles. Dr. Daniel also contributes to the field through clinical supervision of trainees at Umoja Behavioral Health and Wellness, where she supports clinicians in delivering trauma-informed, equity-centered care. Her scholarly and clinical priorities include building more inclusive multicultural counseling approaches and critically examining how institutions respond to protest and the evolving status of DEI initiatives on college campuses.

Services offered

Services

Individual therapyPublic speakingAdvocacy

Available for

Speaking engagementsConferencesPodcast interviews

Focus areas & populations

Focus areas

TraumaChronic illnessGriefTherapy for Therapists and Healers

Communities served

Mental healthAdults (18–64)LGBTQIA+ communitiesBIPOC communities

Identity & values

Values & commitments

Harm reductionFree PalestineAnti-racist approaches

Identities & communities

As a liberation-based therapist, I address the systemic injustices impacting your life and recognize the intersectionality of your identities. I strive to confront my biases and ensure our work is grounded in humility and social justice. I have experience working with individuals from marginalized identities, including Black, Arab, Indigenous, Muslim, Queer/Trans, Non-monogamous, Immigrant, First-generation, and BIPOC communities. I support survivors of childhood sexual abuse, religious trauma, and those dealing with depression or feelings of hopelessness.

Lived experience

Mental health

Practice & approach

Somatic therapyEnergy workIntegrative/Holistic Counseling (Tarot, Astrology, Spirituality)

REBT (Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy)

What harm reduction means in practice

My understanding of harm reduction is rooted in compassion, humility, and social justice. I offer a warm, intuitive space to explore grief and healing at your pace, centering strengths and using inclusive, flexible approaches that support both immediate needs (safety and support) and long-term growth. Drawing from my clinical work with marginalized communities and my equity-focused lens, along with my commitment to confronting biases and addressing systemic factors, I collaborate with you to make choices aligned with your unique circumstances, reconnect with your body, soften your inner critic, and meet your wounded self with kindness.

Communities, movements & lineages that shaped this work

I come from the ancestral lands of Caddo, Chitimacha, Choctaw, Houma, and Tunica of enslaved Black women who were medicine healers and spiritual practitioners. I follow a scholar-activist mentorship framework rooted in womanism from Black psychology. I believe Black Lives Matter, Sudan, Congo, and Palestine will be free; Science is real; Women’s rights are human rights; No human is Illegal, and Love is love.

Trainings, certifications & community lineages

2026 University Psychedelic Education Program (U-PEP) 2026 Faculty Fellowship; Clinical Therapist, Umoja Behavioral Health; Mentor, National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC) Foundation Minority Fellowship; Co-Host, The Thoughtful Counselor Podcast.

Publications, media & written work

Psychologists for Justice in Palestine (PJP) https://paloaltou.edu/resources/the-thoughtful-counselor-podcast/psychologists-for-justice-in-palestine-pjp Umoja Behavioral Health from Mind to Matter https://paloaltou.edu/resources/the-thoughtful-counselor-podcast/umoja-behavioral-health-from-mind-to-matter Urban Indigenous Collective: For Urban Natives by Urban Natives https://concept.paloaltou.edu/resources/the-thoughtful-counselor-podcast/urban-indigenous-collective-for-urban-natives-by-urban-natives Voices of Resistance: Conversations with Dr. Autumn Asher BlackDeer https://concept.paloaltou.edu/resources/the-thoughtful-counselor-podcast/voices-of-resistance-conversations-with-dr.-autumn-asher-blackdeer Bridging Cultures: Black Immigrants and Cultural Integration https://concept.paloaltou.edu/resources/the-thoughtful-counselor-podcast/bridging-cultures-black-immigrants-and-cultural-integration Queering Disability: Understanding Disability, the Forgotten Margin. https://concept.paloaltou.edu/resources/the-thoughtful-counselor-podcast/queering-disability-understanding-disability-the-forgotten-margin