Psychotherapy and Supervision
Healing connections can happen through commitment of emotional understanding in our worlds.

ABOUT DONNA
I offer an environment committed to emotional support and care for relationships, helping individuals expand their understanding of themselves and the world
Donna Wolfskehl DiStefano
M.S.W., L.C.S.W., L.C.A.D.C.

My Relational Psychotherapy Approach
Relational Therapy focuses on empathy. My specific way of working is called Intersubjective Systems Theory or Phenomenological Contextual Psychoanalytic Theory, a deep understanding of human experience. Long story short,
our lives are not separate from others that are in it, nor are they from the world. The idea of empathy that I work with is empathic attunement. What the heck does that even mean? Well, how we empathize, as well as how we do not empathize, has to do with our experiences. Particularly our early experiences taught us and formed our current understanding of the world. If there has been relationship difficulty or other trauma, we as human beings have formed a meaning around that which will affect how we go about our lives.
These experiences become a part of us. Now let’s say that looking at someone’s life is like looking at different musicians in a band and think of them as representing different parts of a person’s experiences. So you have the lead singer and she is singing the melody and that is the overall conscious belief the person identifies with. Then there is the guitarist and maybe he is perhaps playing the notes under the lyrics which give a feeling of the emotions of the person and how they respond to their world. Then the pianist may resemble how the person goes about their daily tasks or routine, non-challenging events though she keeps the general melody and continuity of things and the drummer is perhaps able to guide the rhythm by what events are easy to deal with or manage the intensity by which we are impacted in situations; he might slow things down for a while if need be. We may, though, have different kinds of bass musicians in the band. A base player might know the songs and work hard to hit all the right notes. However, what if there is not sheet music, as in life? In this case, the bass player can listen keenly for the deep low notes, the ones that might not be readily and preferably at our attention.
With subtlety, we may find a new aspect of our experience that is important. Not only that, but they help us find how the experience, these deeper notes, work into the rest of the music. With this understanding, there is a different feeling. You may gain a different understanding of ourselves, feel more connected as well.

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Start with your world.
Looking for In-House Supervision for Your Programs
Support transformation in your clients’ lives. Support real transformation and address difficult problems.
Mission & Values
Commitment to Healing Relationships
work with principles of care, responsibility, and deep understanding to help therapists and clients alike
In a world of pressure and uncertainty, I work with care, responsibility and understanding. We find important issues and ways through them.

Professional Offerings
In the Intersubjective process there is listening for deeper meanings. It helps to understand where experiences tie to one another.

Individual Psychotherapy
I specialize in Trauma, Addiction, Depression, Relationship Issues, Identity Issues and Anxiety.
I see individuals and families.
Fee: $195 Per Session

Supervision Groups for MSW and Counseling Graduates
Receive guidance from trained and experienced therapist. Give feedback that that improves clients’ relating to their experience.
Small Groups starting in June 2025.

Early Career Therapist Group
Gain ability for deep attunement to your direct experiences. Supportive and emotionally attuned support peers. Value is in finding patterns, truth and authenticity. Support experience of beginning as a therapist or counselor.
Thursdays (time TBA): Starting 6/5
Real Change Can Happen.
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Ready to take the next step? Explore our Services and get in touch today for a consultation..