About Daniel

I’ve come to believe that a meaningful life isn’t built from just one identity—it’s shaped from many. Like a mosaic, each piece matters. The broken parts. The beautiful parts. The ones we didn’t choose, and the ones we fought hard to reclaim.

I’m Daniel—a queer dad, husband, wartime Navy veteran, adoptive parent, licensed social worker, certified ecotherapist, artist, published author, and life coach. Each of these roles has shaped the way I understand healing and resilience.

I’ve spent over 25 years working in mental health, including a decade in private practice, hospice care, and became a Licensed Independent Social Worker in 2014. My work has taken me into many spaces—supporting LGBTQ+ individuals, working with underserved communities, and developing programs for children navigating traumatic loss. I’ve also had the honor of co-authoring Veterans in Social Work Practice, published by the NASW.

But long before the degrees and credentials, there was lived experience.

I grew up gay in conservative Ohio, served in the military during the era of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” and ultimately made the painful decision to go no contact with my biological family after years of non-acceptance. That choice came with grief—but also something deeper: clarity, peace, and the freedom to build a life rooted in authenticity.

Today, I use both my professional background and personal journey to support others—especially LGBTQ+ individuals—who are navigating identity, trauma, and complex family dynamics. Whether someone is trying to repair relationships or considering creating distance, I offer a space that is grounded, compassionate, and real. I have a deep passion for helping people rediscover lost or hidden parts of themselves—guiding them back to their voice, their worth, and their capacity to live fully.

My approach to healing is not purely clinical—it’s human. It’s creative. It’s rooted in connection. Through my work in therapy, coaching, ecotherapy, and at places like Wild Ohio Therapy Farm and Shady Pines Alpaca Farm, I help people reconnect with themselves, others, and the natural world. I believe healing happens not just through insight, but through experience, relationship, and presence.

I’ve been fortunate to call many places home—from Arizona and California to time spent in Mexico and Bolivia—and each experience has deepened my understanding of people, culture, and what it means to belong.

Perhaps my greatest teachers, though, are my children and grandchild, who remind me every day that growth never stops. They continue to shape me into a better, more present, and more compassionate version of myself. I believe we are all works in progress—and that’s not a flaw, it’s part of the design.

At the center of everything I do is a simple belief:

You are not broken. You are becoming.

And no matter where you are in your journey, there is a way forward—one that leads not back to who you were expected to be, but toward who you truly are.

Outside of my professional work, I also hold a strong interest in healthy death advocacy and child development, both of which continue to inform my perspective on the full arc of human life and growth.