Ascent Family Therapy

Hi, I’m Daniel. I’m a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in Utah and California, and I work with individuals and couples who are ready to move beyond shame, disconnection, and survival mode—especially around anxiety, sex, faith, and communication. I know what it’s like to carry deep questions about identity, relationships, and belonging. Therapy with me isn’t about perfection—it’s about permission. Permission to feel, to question, to grieve, to play, to rebuild. My clients describe me as bold but safe, warm but honest. I specialize in helping people unpack the stuck points that traditional therapy often avoids—especially around religious trauma, sexual expression, and relational dynamics shaped by rigid systems or unspoken rules. I believe in thoughtful, individualized, brave work—the kind that helps you reconnect with your body, your truth, and your agency/autonomy. My therapy style is both emotionally attuned and deeply practical. I draw from evidence-based modalities like ACT, CBT, family systems, and sex therapy—but I always center you as the expert of your own experience. Many of my clients are navigating: Faith transitions or spiritual disorientation (especially from LDS or high-demand religious backgrounds) Sexual shame, purity culture wounds, or difficulty embracing desire Anxiety, people-pleasing, or feeling emotionally overwhelmed Relationship pain, whether you're partnered, poly, married, or somewhere in between Confusion around intimacy—wanting more closeness but feeling guarded, detached, or unseen Whether you’re the partner who feels too much or the one who’s been emotionally checked out, I work with both sides of that tension—without taking sides. Therapy with me creates space for complexity, for contradictions, and for reimagining the story you’ve been living in. I’m not the kind of therapist who nods quietly while you spin in circles. I show up fully—engaged, curious, and unafraid to name what’s real. I’m neurodivergent, a former missionary, and a parent who has lived through divorce, deconstruction, and rediscovery. I understand firsthand what it means to rebuild your sense of self, especially when the old ways of belonging no longer fit. I'm AASECT-aligned, LGBTQ+ affirming, kink-aware, and comfortable working with clients exploring non-monogamy, erotic recovery, and gender expansiveness. I also speak the nuanced language of LDS culture, and help clients stay, leave, or redefine their relationship to faith without shame. Specialties & Services Sex Therapy: Desire mismatch, body image, porn conflict, performance anxiety, betrayal recovery, and sacred eroticism Faith & Identity Work: LDS nuance, religious trauma, existential exploration, and post-faith meaning-making Anxiety & Emotional Overwhelm: Boundaries, self-trust, burnout, and nervous system regulation Couples Therapy: Rebuilding connection, healing resentment, repairing emotional safety, and creating new intimacy rituals Neurodivergent-Affirming: Sessions that support ADHD, autism, sensory issues, and alternative communication styles You’re Not Too Complicated. You’re Just Untangling. If you’ve been told you’re too emotional, too sensitive, too sexual, too skeptical, or too broken—let’s talk. You’re not too much. You’re just in a season that needs more room, more care, and a different kind of map. Let’s begin.