Daniel Schmekel is from one of the most beautiful parts of Washington State, the Methow Valley. He spent a number of years working for the Forest Service as a wild land firefighter before pursuing his dream to be a Marriage and Family Therapist. As a third generation alumni of John Brown University in Siloam Springs Arkansas in 2000 Daniel graduated with his Masters in Science in Marriage and Family Therapy. Currently he is an LMFT (Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, license #LF00002542), as well as a CMHS (Certified Child Mental Health Specialist) in the State of Washington.  He’s held a private practice in North Everett since 2007 and is contracted with Tender Rock Counseling of Bellevue. He has also been a Board Member for the Snohomish County Disabilities Advisory Board for 8 years and held a position of Co-Chair for 2 years.  He’s volunteered for the Arc of Snohomish county at camps and has led parent workshops.

During his time at John Brown University, he took a job at Ozark Guidance Center a youth residential treatment center. This is where he becomes aware that this job was in line to his calling of working with parents and children. Prior to grad school, he spent a summer as a camp counselor; started a youth drama group in the Methow Valley; as well as, started the first Young Life program in the Valley. It only seemed natural to take a job as a Residential Floor Staff while he was in the graduate program. This experience is the foundation of his model of parenting that he has been teaching for over 15 years. After graduating, Daniel spent two years as a Therapist at Heartlight Ministries another residential program located in Texas. In 2002, Daniel felt like the South held him long enough and began his trek back to the Pacific Northwest. Once here he continued in the tradition of working with adolescents in residential programs at the Ruth Dykeman Children’s Center as a Therapist for 3 1/2yrs. After that as a Case Manager at a residential program, he had a unique opportunity of supporting youth and families with Autism Spectrum Disorders. It was through this work that Daniel was able to expand his knowledge of families with special needs and the challenges wonderful parents face. Finally, by 2007, he felt it was time to leave residential programs behind and pursued a private practice that was located in North Everett.

Daniel recognizes the family has their own story as a whole each part connected to the other. The parents are the most important part of this unit and his focus is to give them the best possible opportunities to succeed. His approach includes education, role-playing, modeling, homework assignments, family sessions, marital, parent sessions, and individual with the children. Daniel uses cognitive behavioral therapy, narrative, and solution-based treatment models. He is experienced in working with: Special needs, divorce, grief, academic problems, oppositional behavior, drug/alcohol, anger, depression, anxiety, social skills, adoption and attachment issues. Daniel’s career goal is to be a public speaker and author on the areas of child development and parenting.  The Arc of Snohomish County hosted two parenting seminars.

The purpose of this blog is to document and share his ideas and discovery’s on parenting challenging children.   The material he will use will come from sessions.  He will not use confidential material from my clientele.  I will use only ideas that I express to my clients from these sessions. This is not about parenting techniques.  This is about how the parent can maintain a position of thinking and acting that will support the technique they decide to utilize.