Alana Donley

You may find yourself overthinking conversations, questioning your decisions, struggling to feel confident in who you are, or repeating the same patterns in relationships even when you know they are not working. Maybe you are navigating a major life transition, trying to understand what you want from a relationship, or feeling caught between who you have been and who you want to become. Therapy can give you a place to slow down, understand what is happening beneath the surface, and begin making meaningful changes.

I work with young adults, individuals, and couples experiencing anxiety, perfectionism, self-esteem concerns, relationship difficulties, identity questions, and life transitions. Rather than focusing only on symptoms, I help clients understand the patterns they have developed, where those patterns may have come from, and whether they are still serving them. Together, we can work toward greater self-understanding while also developing practical ways to create change in your everyday life and relationships.

My approach is warm, collaborative, curious, and relational. I want you to feel genuinely seen and understood while also helping you move toward the changes that brought you to therapy. I use evidence-based approaches within a systemic framework, which means we may explore not only what is happening within you, but also how your relationships, family experiences, environment, and past have shaped the way you see yourself and connect with others.

For couples, conflict is often about much more than the issue you are arguing about. Repeated disagreements can reflect deeper patterns involving trust, emotional connection, communication, expectations, or the ways each partner responds when they feel hurt or disconnected. I help couples identify these patterns, communicate more effectively, strengthen their emotional connection, and create a relationship that feels more secure and fulfilling. My role is not to take sides, but to help both partners feel understood while developing a clearer picture of the relationship they are creating together.

I draw from the Gottman Method and the Developmental Model of Couples Therapy, which incorporates attachment, differentiation, and an understanding of how relationships develop and change over time. I am currently completing Level 1 training in Gottman Method Couples Therapy.

Alana Donley is a master’s-level counseling intern completing her Master of Science in Counseling at Southern Methodist University, where she is pursuing training in both professional counseling and marriage and family therapy. She completed her practicum at the SMU Center for Family Counseling, providing counseling to individuals, couples, and groups. Alana is a scholarship recipient, an outstanding student nominee, and a member of Chi Sigma Iota, the counseling academic and professional honor society. She is also a student member of the Texas Association for Marriage and Family Therapy and a member of Relational Therapists of Dallas.

Her clinical interests include couples and premarital counseling, anxiety, perfectionism, relationship concerns, young adulthood, life transitions, self-esteem, and identity development.