Today we’d like to introduce you to Dana Cronin.
Hi Dana , so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Growing up in Olathe, Kansas, I never imagined I would one day own a private counseling practice. My early career began in underwriting at a local insurance corporation, a stable and respectable path. Yet, even as I advanced professionally, I felt a quiet pull toward something more purposeful.
After completing my undergraduate degree in psychology, I found myself uncertain about my next step until Hurricane Sandy struck. It was the second major natural disaster I had witnessed in my professional life, following Hurricane Katrina. Experiencing such large-scale human impact twice changed something in me. I realized I no longer wanted to work behind a desk for a large corporation. I wanted to serve people directly and make a tangible difference in my community. That very evening, I began applying to graduate schools.
I ultimately chose the University of Saint Mary in Leavenworth, where I earned a master’s degree in Counseling Psychology. My only goals at the time were clear: I didn’t want to work in a hospital or with children. Ironically, my career path led me to do both and in doing so, shaped me into the therapist I am today.
My practicum placement at KVC Kansas introduced me to foster children and the complex world of trauma-informed care. After graduation, I joined KVC’s Prairie Ridge Hospital as an inpatient therapist. Within a year, I transitioned to an outpatient therapist role at KVC’s Kansas City, Kansas office while continuing weekend shifts at the hospital.
Working with children in foster care was both humbling and transformative. The work demanded patience, adaptability, and emotional resilience. Those early years were filled with steep learning curves, but they were also profoundly rewarding. I learned to listen deeply and to meet each client where they were. Looking back, I owe much of my professional growth to the lessons those clients taught me.
Over time, I moved from pediatric to adult inpatient work in Olathe, continuing my outpatient practice at KVC’s Olathe office after the Kansas City site closed. Then came 2020 and everything changed.
The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted every aspect of therapy. As an essential worker, I continued providing care, but the familiar settings of schools, homes, and offices suddenly disappeared. Overnight, telehealth became the primary mode of treatment. For trauma therapy with young children, this presented immense challenges, keeping a child under ten engaged on a screen for an hour was no small feat. I had to reinvent my approach, incorporating creative and play-based techniques into virtual sessions to maintain connection and progress.
Meanwhile, my part-time work at a psychiatric hospital became even more demanding as staffing shortages emerged. I picked up extra shifts to support the team, but the unrelenting pace eventually led to burnout. Recognizing the toll, I took a step back from direct client work and accepted a non-clinical role at KVC, giving myself time to rest and reflect.
That period of rest became a turning point. A former colleague soon reached out, inviting me to join her private practice collective. At first, I hesitated, after years in high-intensity hospital and agency settings, the idea of private practice felt unfamiliar, even slow. But after visiting the office and envisioning a different way of serving clients, I decided to take the leap.
Four years later, that decision led to the creation of Animate Psychology, founded in 2021. I saw my first client the following year. Since then, my practice has grown steadily, built entirely on word-of-mouth and insurance referrals. The pace is calmer than hospital work, but the fulfillment runs deeper. Every day, I get to witness resilience, growth, and transformation proof that healing happens one conversation at a time.
Building Animate Psychology has been one of the most meaningful endeavors of my life. It represents a full-circle journey: from corporate structure to community care, from burnout to balance, from uncertainty to purpose. What began as a desire to help others has become a calling and a lifelong commitment to the well-being of the people I serve.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Graduate school prepares you to be a therapist not a business owner. When I started my private practice, I had no experience running a business. My grandfather, who was an attorney with his own firm, might have been my greatest teacher in that regard, but he passed away when I was fourteen. My parents both worked for large corporations, so entrepreneurship wasn’t exactly a family trade. In many ways, I truly fumbled my way into business ownership.
Even now, there are days I question whether I’m doing everything “right” except for the therapy part, which has always felt natural. On those days, I remind myself of the same advice I give my clients: it’s not about how many times we fall, but how we choose to get back up. Building a business, much like therapy, isn’t rocket science (unless it is). It’s about persistence, patience, and the willingness to start again tomorrow when today doesn’t go as planned.
We’ve been impressed with Animate Psychology, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Animate Psychology is a private therapy practice I founded in 2021. The practice is part of a collective of therapists located on Cherry Street in downtown Olathe, Kansas. I specialize in trauma therapy, neurodivergence, depression, and anxiety disorders, and have completed extensive professional training in EMDR Levels I and II, TF-CBT, IFS-Informed Therapy, DBT-Informed Therapy, Trauma Systems Therapy, Somatic Therapy, Hypnotherapy, Play Therapy, and Psychological Testing and Assessment, including evaluations for autism and ADHD.
I hold clinical licenses in both counseling and addictions therapy in the state of Kansas and have been practicing for more than a decade. While I work with clients across all age groups, I am especially known for my work with teenagers and young adults. My clients often describe me as welcoming and “easy to talk to,” but also appreciate that I hold them accountable throughout the therapeutic process.
I am particularly recognized for my work with children and trauma. I have a firm rule when working with children: with the exception of mandated reporting, what is said in therapy remains confidential unless the child gives permission to share it with their parents. I require parents to agree to this rule before therapy begins. Most are supportive those who aren’t, I choose not to work with. For me, therapy must always be a safe space for every client.
The branding of Animate Psychology holds a special place in my heart. My late best friend, who passed away from triple-negative breast cancer, had a husband who designed my logo and branding. The colors are vibrant and full of life just like my office and, like me. With my love of colorful hair and a bright, welcoming environment, the logo captures the essence of who I am and what I want my practice to represent: healing, authenticity, and color in all its forms.
What are your plans for the future?
I’m not entirely sure what the future holds, but I know I plan to continue doing this work for a long time. I have no intention of leaving anytime soon. I appreciate the size and pace of my current practice and have no desire to grow into a large, multi-employee operation. I value the intimacy and balance that come with maintaining a small, client-focused office. Being part of a collective allows me to collaborate with trusted colleagues and refer clients to the right fit when I’m not able to take someone on myself.
I left the corporate world decades ago and have no interest in returning to that model. For me, Animate Psychology was never about business first it was, and continues to be, about people. If the practice ever became more about profits than purpose, that would mean losing what makes it meaningful. At its heart, Animate Psychology is built on connection, compassion, and the belief that real healing happens when people feel truly seen and supported.
Pricing:
- Out of Pocket Intake $185
- Out of Pocket 50 min Session $145
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.animatepsychology.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/animatepsychology/
- Other: https://www.cherrystreetcollective.com/
