Meet Dr. Dana McNeil | PsyD, LMFT Founder of The Relationship Place

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dr. Dana McNeil and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dr. Dana, what role has risk played in your life or career?
When I think about risk, I always think back to the old saying “If your dreams don’t scare you, they probably aren’t big enough.”

To me, this has always meant that the things in life that have provided me the greatest reward have always come with some measure of tolerating discomfort.

I have come to accept that some form of risk taking is an accepted non-negotiable that all of us have to embrace if we are are going to be entrepreneurs or aspire to achieve our goals in life.

Being a group practice owner required that build of risk upon risk. When I started as the owner of a private practice I had to tolerate the risk involved in not having a steady paycheck. I had to accept that it was up to me to find my own clients, evaluate the best ways to market myself, and figure out how to run a business with very little background in doing so.

Then I had to take the risk of expanding during the Covid shutdown. This was an enormous risk for me and clinicians. I had to find a way to tolerate the uncertainty of the situation while managing the responsibility of providing a livelihood for my employees.

Believe or not it gets easier to tolerate the risk but it doesn’t always get less scary. You just get better at not letting it paralyze you or keep you from moving forward.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Our group therapy practice has two locations in the San Diego area but we can service the whole state via telehealth. Our therapy practice offers a place to find support, empathy, and outside-of-the-box ways of solving your problems. We aim to break the stereotype of what therapy is supposed to be like, and what your relationship should look like.
We specialize in working with couples utilizing a theory known as the Gottman Method which is an evidence based type of therapy developed over 40 years ago. The Gottman Method has been put through clinical trials and what we have found is couples who use this technique report their relationship is improved by 86 percent.

We don’t have stuffy offices as you might find in a medical practice. Our therapy rooms are warm and cozy. You’ll feel like you’re sitting in our living room.

We don’t have impersonal therapists who can’t distinguish you and your situation from other clients. We excel in client care and will treat you as the unique person you are.

We’ll never judge you. You’ll feel relaxed and cared for by our compassionate and genuine therapists. We respect all relationship types, people with all religious beliefs and from all cultures.

The group of clinicians we have assembled are the best and the brightest with a diverse background. We offer support for with all types of relationship issues from pre-marital counseling, dealing with the aftermath of extramarital affairs, partners working through addiction recovery, military deployed families, parents of special needs children, LGBTQ, and polyamorous clients.

Our goal at The Relationship Place is to change the face of couples therapy. So many couples come to therapy as a last resort and often have guilt and shame about finding themselves needing the work. We want to change the narrative and reassure our couples that you are coming to learn tools you didn’t have before. You are not broken, you are just adding to your toolbox.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Only a week?! There is SO much to do in San Diego. We are blessed with beautiful weather and the most friendly people. I might be biased though since I am a 4th generation San Diegan 🙂

A perfect week would have to include places where we can bring my dog Windsor with us. I would love to start the week by the water. Anytime I get to take a walk on the beach in Coronado is a good day. The beach attracts more locals then tourists and has a low key vibe with a wonderful dog beach. We could then go grab some Mexican food because everyone who visits need to have some really good Southern California mexican food.

I would probably also make sure the trip included a visit to Julian. I love the feel and vibe of the little mountain getway. My favorite stores in town are the Cider Mill and The Warm Hearth. I love to stock up on coffee, preserves, and other yummy foods. I am also a huge fan of stopping at Julian Cider for some of their cider specialties. Sitting out on their deck and enjoying the views of the mountains is always soothing to my soul.

It is always fun to go downtown to the Gaslamp District, Little Italy, or walk over to South Park. So many good food places to check out and dog friendly patios to hang out on.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
The employees who work in my practice are a constant source of inspiration, shared support, and amaze me on a daily basis with their talent, commitment, and loyalty to the work we do with our clients.

Website: www.sdrelationshipplace.com and www.danamcneil.com

Instagram: @sdrelationshipplace and @drdanamcneil

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-dana-mcneil and https://www.linkedin.com/company/relationshipplace

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DanaMcNeilMarriageandFamilyTherapy and https://www.facebook.com/sdrelationshipplace/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTiGMC8VeLRMFl8FN9MYFSg/featured