Hi, my name is Danielle Wallace.
About me
I grew up in the world of competitive volleyball, playing for over 25 years and coaching from high school to Division I and post-grad beach. I know the pressure to perform, the drive to excel, and the emotional toll that can come with chasing big goals.
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Those lessons followed me beyond the court. After 17 years in the corporate world and 7 years running my own business, I’ve learned that athletes and entrepreneurs share more than ambition — they share the struggle of balancing performance with well-being.
That’s why I founded CORE Therapy: to help people strengthen their mental game, navigate setbacks, and build resilience that lasts — in sports, in business, and in life.
Experience
Before becoming a therapist, I built a successful career in marketing and communications, leading high-impact strategies for national brands and coaching entrepreneurs through mindset, goal setting, and authentic branding. I spent over almost two decades as a leader at a global automotive company, where I specialized in digital content strategy, audience engagement, and brand storytelling.
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In 2018, I founded Danielle Branding LLC, where I combined my strategic marketing expertise with mindset coaching to help small business owners gain clarity, confidence, and consistency. My passion for human performance—both mental and emotional—naturally evolved into a focus on therapy.
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Today, I bring the same energy and insight into my work with athletes at CORE Therapy, helping them develop resilience, emotional regulation, and purpose-driven performance. Whether it’s on the field, in the gym, or in life transitions, I offer clients a unique blend of lived experience, business savvy, and clinical training.
Why I work with athletes
As a lifelong athlete and former coach, I know firsthand the physical and mental demands of competitive sports. I spent over 25 years playing volleyball—from high school and club, to JUCO, Division I, and post-grad beach—and 10 years coaching youth athletes. (I should I also mention that I have parented high caliber athletes as well). I’ve lived the pressure to perform, the sting of injury, and the identity shifts that come with transitions on and off the court.
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Athletes are often expected to be mentally tough, but they’re rarely taught how to build that toughness in healthy, sustainable ways. That’s where I come in.
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Through therapy, I help athletes strengthen their inner game—developing emotional resilience, managing anxiety, navigating injury recovery, and finding clarity and confidence in their goals. My work bridges performance and mental health so athletes can thrive both in competition and beyond it.
My Approach to Therapy
I believe the mind is a key part of performance—and that true resilience comes from developing skills both mentally and emotionally.
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In therapy, I use a range of evidence-based approaches tailored to each athlete’s needs and personality.
These include: - Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to explore thought patterns and build mental flexibility - Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) for mindfulness, distress tolerance, and emotion regulation - Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) to challenge unhelpful beliefs - Narrative Therapy to help athletes rewrite the stories they tell themselves - Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) for goal-setting and performance planning - Motivational Interviewing (MI) to spark internal drive and sustained motivation - Somatic Therapy to reconnect the mind and body after stress or injury - Relational Therapy to improve communication and strengthen support systems I integrate these tools to help clients manage pressure, recover from setbacks, and build the mental skills needed to compete—and live—at their fullest potential.