Hi, I’m Danielle!

A woman with short, wavy dark hair smiling at the camera, wearing a gray shirt, against a light blue background. Danielle offers counseling for teens in Portland, OR.

Danielle Maveal, Art Therapy Intern (she/her)

Supervised by Yael Kievsky LMFT & Taylor Kravitz LMFT

Identities: queer, fat, neurodivergent

Location: In-Person & Online in Oregon

Availability: Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday

Fee: $100 per 50 minute session

Current Availability: Openings for Individuals & Couples — In-Person & Virtual

My work supports people returning to their own knowing, the kind that gets buried under years of cultural messages, coping strategies, and all the ways life asks us to forget who we are to make it through

Why I Do This Work:

As a fat, queer, neurodivergent person, I’ve lived in a body and mind that often aren’t understood. I know what it’s like to be told you’re too much, or not enough, or somehow both at once. I came to this field after years of navigating identity alongside complex PTSD, health challenges, career transitions, and a later-in-life queer awakening, often feeling disconnected from others, myself, and a sense of safety in my own body.

Over 20 years of creative self-work, therapy, and community have helped me feel more connected, supported, and grounded. These experiences shape how I show up with warmth, humility, and a deep respect for how hard it can be to be human right now.

Before becoming a therapist, I spent 15+ years building communities with artists and creative entrepreneurs, learning how meaningful connection helps people feel seen and supported. I’m currently finishing my Master of Science in Art Therapy at Lewis & Clark College.


How I Do This Work:

People describe my presence as warm, thoughtful, and comforting. I’m also direct and welcome your toughest questions. Across both individual and couples work, I offer a space that is collaborative, affirming, and gently challenging, where you can feel met, make sense of what’s happening, and move toward something more sustainable. Healing can be heavy at times, but it can also feel creative, alive, even joyful, and I believe therapy can hold all of it.

Feeling trapped in the same patterns, disconnected from yourself or the people you love, and unsure how to shift it? 

I work best with couples who feel stuck in the same conversations without resolution but still care deeply about each other and want things to change. You might have the same conflict on repeat, struggle to feel heard, or are unsure how to reach each other when it matters most. I can help slow these moments down together, make sense of the cycle you’re caught in, and find new ways of responding that feel safer and more connected.

I also work with adults and teens navigating burnout, life transitions, or challenges in family and relationships, especially when things feel overwhelming or hard to make sense of. Many people come in simply knowing something isn’t working and wanting help understanding why. My approach is grounded in attachment, emotionally focused, and narrative therapy, so we explore how your past experiences have shaped the ways you protect yourself, and shift patterns or stories that no longer fit. When it feels helpful and you’re open to it, I bring in simple art invitations to support expression beyond words.

My practice centers people in marginalized bodies and identities, including those who are fat, queer, trans, non-binary, or neurodivergent, and those navigating the pressure of living in systems that often misread or pathologize them.


My Specialities

  • Fat Affirming Care

    Fat identity exploration 

    Relationships with food, movement, and rest

    Reclaiming embodiment & pleasure

    Sexuality in a bigger body

  • Neurodivergence

    Masking

    Burnout

    Shame

    Internalized ableism

    Creating a neurodivergent-affirming lifestyle

  • Queer & Gender Affirming Care

    Gender affirming care

    Partners of gender-diverse people

    Internalized biphobia, homophobia & transphobia

    Gender & sexuality identity support

  • Therapy for Teens

    Identity exploration

    Managing fear, anger, or uncertainty about the world

    Working through school, work, or life pressure

    Navigating friendships, dating, and relationship challenges

    Dealing with loss, family changes, or big transitions

  • Relationships

    Sexual concerns in relationships

    Communication issues

    Supporting each other during hardships

    Mixed neurotype relationships

  • Art Therapy

    Art therapy can involve processing via creative avenues like clay, drawing, painting, writing & more!

    You don’t have to be art to be an artist & we only incorporate these modalities as much as you feel ready to.

    Art therapy is more than just making art to process; it’s about metaphors, stories, & symbols that can shape our understanding of ourselves.

Qualifications:

Bachelor of Arts, Creative Writing, York University in Toronto, Ontario

Art Therapy Intern through Lewis & Clark College(currently enrolled)

  • Research: fat affirming care in therapeutic spaces 

Additional trainings I’ve attended:

  • Sensory approaches to neurodivergent therapy

  • Integrative Somatic Parts Work (Internal Family Systems)

  • The trauma of racism

  • Art therapy for trauma treatment

  • Fat Studies & Health at Every Size

  • Sex therapy with erotically marginalized clients

  • Sensate focus training

  • Pet loss and grief

More about Danielle:

I’m a therapist, artist, crafter, and lifelong community builder. I live with my partner, my mom, and 2 rescue dogs in a multigenerational home, where caregiving and deep talks about community, gender, disability, and death are part of everyday life. I love pottery, reality TV, making zines, being in the sun, and having meals with friends. My home is filled with color, plants, and suncatchers.

I live at the intersection of both privilege and marginalization. Some aspects of my identity have helped me feel safe and supported. Others have made me feel erased, judged, or left out. These experiences and the tension between them shape how I practice therapy. I approach each client with curiosity, humility, and the belief that their story is their own. Identity work is lifelong, especially in the role of therapist, and I’m committed to ongoing reflection, learning, and accountability.

I’ve been in therapy for over two decades. I have had experiences that changed my life, as well as others that left me feeling disappointed or unheard. I understand how difficult it can be to reach out, especially if you've felt let down in the past. That’s why I care so much about creating a soft space where you feel genuinely seen, respected, and supported.

A hanging decorative ornament with multicolored, reflective faceted crystals, including a heart-shaped crystal at the center, against a blurred background with string lights.

Get started with Danielle today.

Get to Know Our Other Providers