Alison Dagger

MA, LPMT, LCPC, LPC, MT-BC

I’m a mixture of go with the flow and get things done kind of person. I have a passion for getting to know you and helping you discover the roots of your suffering. I believe strongly that there is no “one size fits all” to healing and I employ knowledge from all of my training and experience to help you finally find answers and thrive. My clients often feel sensitive to the moods of those around them and struggle with self-worth. I specialize in treating anxiety, grief & loss, developmental and collective trauma, and C-PTSD.

I pursued becoming a psychotherapist and music therapist after discovering a passion for healing within my own creative pursuits and therapy journey. Before coming to the world of health, I bounced around careers working in the non-profit sector, in marketing, and as a baker & pastry chef. I am a life long musician and all around creative person. My career since becoming a therapist includes work with diverse peoples suffering from the after effects of abuse, neglect, systemic marginalization, and traumatic loss.

I am an explorer and traveller at heart and find this informs my work along with my personal story as a Jewish American and granddaughter to survivors of the Holocaust. I grew up in Vermont and it continues to be my happy place. Therefore, you’ll find I may hold virtual sessions from there every so often. I am most myself being in nature, hanging out with furry friends, attending live shows, singing, creating art, and making music.

I am a trauma specialist and tend to always see things through a trauma informed lens. This means I ask “what happened to you” not “what’s wrong with you.” This may look like diving into past traumas, family relationships, or your cultural history. It could also look like dealing with perfectionism, people pleasing/self sacrificing, comparing yourself to others, intellectualizing, emotional reactivity, scheduling & concentration challenges, energy issues, emotional numbness/dissociating from your body, and relationship struggles.

My interest in using music and creative expression to support survivors of trauma started as a graduate student studying Clinical Mental Health Counseling and Music Therapy at Lesley University. As an intern, I worked in assisted living, memory care, and then providing partial hospitalization services to adolescents struggling with suicidal ideation and behavior issues. I noticed music gave my clients the ability to express what words alone could not and helped them feel less alone.

After graduating with my masters, I moved to Pittsburgh where I worked as a therapist for 4 years treating survivors of crime, adults struggling with identity and life transitions, teens in the foster care system, and healthcare providers. These individuals often felt disconnected from their bodies, their communities, and who they used to be. Music and creative expression acted as tools for self discovery, story narration, and healing out of control autonomic survival responses.

I try to make healing and wellness accessible and inclusive. Think of me as your wing woman to healing. I’ll hold the map, but you’ll decide where we venture. Together, we will explore what beliefs no longer serve you and help you move into a future of your own design full of meaning and purpose.