Maria "Danni" Pardo-Vera

Hi! I’m Maria Daniela Pardo-Vera, but you can call me Danni. My preferred pronouns are she/her/hers and I look forward to hearing yours. As the founder of Shining Through Counseling, I’ve always had a passion for helping others, and a fascination with human behavior. Through travel and my academic experiences, I realized counseling, research, and advocacy projects are my way to help. I am passionate about learning different languages and cultures, and seek to use an intersectional lens to meet clients where they are. I seek to empower my clients to live healthy, authentic, and fulfilling lives. Everyone goes through difficult periods, and we all have our struggles. Don’t let that bury your light! You don’t need a diagnosis to seek out help. We all need a safe space to talk, to learn and gain guidance from an objective outside source. I empower others to shine through their challenges, whether that be mental illness, a loss, a diagnosis, big changes, or even just daily struggles. I received my Bachelor's degree in Psychology from the University of Florida. Go Gators! I continued my academic journey at Nova Southeastern University, a CACREP accredited University, and obtained a master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Over the years I have worked in a variety of settings including schools, hospitals, at client’s homes, and even abroad. This included working with families, teens, kids, and adults, both in group settings and individual settings. I believe we are all life-long learners, so I am always learning and taking new opportunities to grow. I look forward to collaborating with and learning from my clients.