THE WHOLE CULTURE is telling you to hurry while the art tells you to take your time
Hi. I’m Daniela.
Meaning Making was created as a space to slow way down and make sense of what you’re carrying. It offers a creative, grounded approach to therapy that integrates talking, art-making, storytelling, and play to help you explore your inner world in a more expansive way.
In this work, meaning isn’t something we impose—it’s something we discover together, through presence, creativity, and curiosity.
WHAT EVEN IS THERAPY?
I work with vanilla, strawberry, rocky road — all kinds of clients who come in many different flavors. No matter what flavor you are, I’ll be your cone or your cup (with or without sprinkles).
But seriously — therapy is about not carrying everything alone. My role is to help hold and make sense of the things that feel heavy, confusing, or stuck. Together, we’ll examine patterns, notice what keeps showing up, and ask clarifying questions that help you better understand yourself and your experiences.
This process might include art making, writing, play, and other creative modalities that invite curiosity and help loosen whatever’s keeping you stuck.
🍦
we all scream
I welcome adults and kids who are new to therapy as well as those who have been in it for years. I believe most people can benefit from therapy — not because something is wrong with them, but because we all have the capacity to better understand ourselves.
I promise to show up just as authentically as I invite you to be. I approach therapy with a nonjudgmental stance, meeting you where you are rather than where you think you “should” be. I offer a steady, supportive space where we can sit with what feels difficult and begin to understand it together. From there, we can explore ways to move forward that feel more connected, manageable, and true to you.
bring an open mind
magic sauce
My perspective is shaped by my clinical training and my lived experience. I may bring aspects of my life into the room when it serves the work, but always with intention and care. As a mother of three, pieces of my experience naturally inform how I understand things, but I’m mindful about how and when I share them.
What I bring into the room is in service of you — within clear, healthy boundaries. This balance of human connection and ethical structure is part of what makes this work effective.
That’s the magic sauce.
beyond words
My approach has been shaped through years of clinical experience in hospital and community settings. As an art therapist at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles I witnessed how powerful creative expression can be—especially when words aren’t enough.
That belief deepened during my work at UCLA Health where I served as an Art Therapist supporting post - 9/11 veterans living with severe PTSD. In that work, I saw again and again how creative expression can reach places language alone cannot—and how meaning can emerge even in the most complex and painful experiences.
Daniela Montañez
In-person in los angeles and online throughout california.
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist CA (103748)
Board Certified Art Therapist (17-242)