Dr. Dèsa Karye Daniel is an accomplished assistant professor at the University of Colorado Denver and a licensed mental health counselor in New Mexico and Colorado. A 2026 UPEP fellow and recipient of a psychedelic natural medicine research grant, Dr. Daniel focuses on racial and ethnic dynamics within academic environments. Her research delves into the experiences of Black and Brown college students, highlighting the unique challenges faced by Black womxn in leadership roles. Dr. Daniel's work investigates the effects of stress and racial battle fatigue on BIPOC womxn professionals, emphasizing the psychological impacts of systemic racism. She is a strong advocate for a more inclusive multicultural counseling curriculum and critically analyzes institutional responses to protests and the dismantling of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives on college campuses. Additionally, her research explores student and faculty attitudes toward pro-Palestinian advocacy, aiming to unpack the complexities of activism in contemporary contexts. Dr. Daniel earned her doctorate in counselor education from the University of New Mexico and holds dual master’s degrees from New Mexico State University. Beyond her academic pursuits, she provides affirming cultural care to communities in Colorado and New Mexico through direct clinical work and by supervising clinicians in training at Umoja Behavioral Health and Wellness.

Highlighted Achievements

  • 2023 NBCC Dissertation Award Finalist

  • 2023 National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity’s (NCFDD) CU Denver Faculty Success Program Grant

  • 2022 Center for Social Policy Graduate Fellow

  • 2022 CEE Teaching Conference Sponsorship ($1,000), Palo Alto University

  • 2020 – 2021 Critical Race Scholar Award, University of New Mexico

  • 2020 Helen and Wilson Howard Ivins Memorial Scholarship, University of New Mexico

  • 2020 NBCC Minority Fellow ($20,000) NBCC Minority Fellowship Program for Mental Health Counselors (Doctoral Level). National Board of Certified Counselors.

Thoughtful Counselor Podcast Episodes

2026    Daniel, D. (Producer). (2026, August 24). From Collapse to Care: Rebuilding Through Grief. (No.319) [Audio Podcast]. The Thoughtful Counselor. https://paloaltou.edu/resources/the-thoughtful-counselor-podcast/from-collapse-to-care-rebuilding-through-grief . 

2026    Daniel, D. (Producer). (2026, July 13). Psychologists for Justice in Palestine (PJP) (No.317) [Audio Podcast]. The Thoughtful Counselor.  https://paloaltou.edu/resources/the-thoughtful-counselor-podcast/psychologists-for-justice-in-palestine-pjp

2026    Daniel, D. (Producer). (2026, February 20). Umoja Behavioral Health from Mind to Matter (No.312) [Audio Podcast]. The Thoughtful Counselor. https://paloaltou.edu/resources/the-thoughtful-counselor-podcast/umoja-behavioral-health-from-mind-to-matter 

2025    Daniel, D. (Producer). (2025, November 24). Collective Healing and Community Care (No.306) [Audio Podcast]. The Thoughtful Counselor. https://paloaltou.edu/resources/the-thoughtful-counselor-podcast/collective-healing-and-community-care

2025    Daniel, D. (Producer). (2025, September 8). Urban Indigenous Collective: For Urban Natives by Urban Natives (No.301) [Audio Podcast]. The Thoughtful Counselor. Retrieved from https://concept.paloaltou.edu/resources/the-thoughtful-counselor-podcast/urban-indigenous-collective-for-urban-natives-by-urban-natives

2025    Daniel, D.K.  (Producer). (2025, June 9). Voices of Resistance: Conversations with Dr. Autumn Asher BlackDeer (No.296) [Audio Podcast]. The Thoughtful Counselor. Retrieved from https://concept.paloaltou.edu/resources/the-thoughtful-counselor-podcast/voices-of-resistance-conversations-with-dr.-autumn-asher-blackdeer  

2025    Daniel, D.K.  (Producer). (2025, February 24). Bridging Cultures: Black Immigrants and Cultural Integration (No.290) [Audio Podcast]. The Thoughtful Counselor. Retrieved from https://concept.paloaltou.edu/resources/the-thoughtful-counselor-podcast/bridging-cultures-black-immigrants-and-cultural-integration 

2024    Daniel, D.K. (Producer). (2024, November 15). Disturbing Inequity (No. 284) [Audio Podcast]. The Thoughtful Counselor. Retrieved from https://concept.paloaltou.edu/resources/the-thoughtful-counselor-podcast/disturbing-inequity

2024    Daniel, D.K. (Producer). (2024, August 9). Building Community Through Abolition and Social Justice (No. 279) [Audio Podcast]. The Thoughtful Counselor. Retrieved from https://concept.paloaltou.edu/resources/the-thoughtful-counselor-podcast/building-community-through-abolition-and-social-justice

2024    Daniel, D.K. (Producer). (2024, May 10). Queering Disability: Understanding Disability, the Forgotten Margin. [Audio Podcast]. The Thoughtful Counselor. Retrieved from https://concept.paloaltou.edu/resources/the-thoughtful-counselor-podcast/queering-disability-understanding-disability-the-forgotten-margin

2024    Daniel, D.K. (Producer). (2024, February 9). People of Color Psychedelic Collective (POCPC) [Audio Podcast]. The Thoughtful Counselor. Retrieved from https://concept.paloaltou.edu/resources/the-thoughtful-counselor-podcast/people-of-color-psychedelic-collective-pocpc

2023    Daniel, D.K. (Producer). (2023, November 17). Worthiness, Values, and Self Love [Audio Podcast]. The Thoughtful Counselor. Retrieved from https://concept.paloaltou.edu/resources/the-thoughtful-counselor-podcast/worthiness-values-and-self-love

2023    Daniel, D.K. (Producer). (2023, August 4). Racial Battle Fatigue [Audio Podcast]. The Thoughtful Counselor. Retrieved from https://concept.paloaltou.edu/resources/the-thoughtful-counselor-podcast/racial-battle-fatigue

2023    Daniel, D.K. (Producer). (2023, May 5). LGBTQ+ Communities of Color and Health Disparities [Audio Podcast]. The Thoughtful Counselor. Retrieved from https://concept.paloaltou.edu/resources/the-thoughtful-counselor-podcast/lgbtq-communities-of-color-and-health-disparities

2023    Daniel, D.K. (Producer). (2023, February 3). Community, Activism, & Generational Challenges [Audio Podcast]. The Thoughtful Counselor. Retrieved from https://concept.paloaltou.edu/resources/the-thoughtful-counselor-podcast/community-activism-generational-challenges

2022    Daniel, D.K. (Producer). (2022, October 5). Failing Forward: Defining Success in Private Practice [Audio Podcast]. The Thoughtful Counselor. Retrieved from https://concept.paloaltou.edu/resources/the-thoughtful-counselor-podcast/failing-forward-defining-success-in-private-practice

2022    Daniel, D.K. (Producer). (2022, June 15). For Us By Us Serving Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Communities [Audio Podcast]. The Thoughtful Counselor. Retrieved from https://concept.paloaltou.edu/resources/the-thoughtful-counselor-podcast/for-us-by-us-serving-asian-american-native-hawaiian-and-pacific-islander-communities

2022    Daniel, D.K. (Producer). (2022, March 16). College Counseling: Creating Community for Holistic Student Wellness [Audio Podcast]. The Thoughtful Counselor. Retrieved from https://concept.paloaltou.edu/resources/the-thoughtful-counselor-podcast/college-counseling-creating-community-for-holistic-student-wellness?hs_preview=zqCuitMo-68624029252

2022    Daniel, D.K. (Producer). (2022 January 5). Making Black Lives Matter and Understanding Cultural Mistrust [Audio Podcast]. The Thoughtful Counselor. Retrieved from https://concept.paloaltou.edu/?p=201882&preview=true

2021    Daniel, D.K. (Producer). (2021, November 3). Making the Invisible Visible: Advocacy and Allyship for AMENA Communities [Audio Podcast]. The Thoughtful Counselor. Retrieved from https://concept.paloaltou.edu/?p=201232&preview=true

2021    Daniel, D.K. (Producer). (2021, August 4). Academics for Black Survival and Wellness #Academics4BlackLives [Audio Podcast]. The Thoughtful Counselor. Retrieved from https://wp.me/p7R6fn-Xus

2021    Daniel, D.K. (Producer). (2021, May 5) EP203: Racial Healing: Understanding racism, meaningful allyship, and reclaiming your whole self with Anneliese Singh [Audio Podcast]. The Thoughtful Counselor. Retrieved from https://wp.me/p7R6fn-XsW 

2021    Daniel, D.K. (Producer). (2021, February 2). EP197: Sentipensante Pedagogy – Sensing and Thinking with Alexia DeLeon [Audio Podcast]. The Thoughtful Counselor. Retrieved from https://wp.me/p7R6fn-Xp9.