Who is Dr. Dani?

Dani Rathey, PhD is a school psychologist, educator, positive psychology practitioner, and performing artist whose work brings together psychology, education, and the creative arts to help people thrive. As an SEL coach and consultant, she helps educators, schools, and organizations create environments where emotional well-being, meaningful connection, and learning can flourish together.

With more than two decades of experience in education and psychology, Dani has worked across elementary, middle, and high school settings in Connecticut, supporting students with diverse learning, behavioral, emotional, and developmental needs. Her work as a school psychologist has included psychoeducational assessment, consultation, intervention, and collaboration with educators, families, and multidisciplinary teams. Through this work, she has developed a deep understanding of what helps people feel capable, connected, and ready to learn and what gets in the way.

Dani’s approach to social-emotional learning is grounded in positive psychology and a strengths-based philosophy. Rather than treating SEL as one more program to add to an already full day, she views it as a way of shaping the culture of a community: building self-awareness, emotional literacy, resilience, self-efficacy, connection, and a genuine sense of belonging. Her coaching helps educators translate psychological science into practical, sustainable strategies that can become part of the way people teach, lead, communicate, and care for one another.

In addition to her work in schools, Dani has taught at the university level, including at New York University, the University of Connecticut, and Southern Connecticut State University, preparing future school counselors, school psychologists, educators, and mental health professionals. Her teaching combines psychological science with applied practice and reflective inquiry, with an emphasis on turning research into tools that are both rigorous and genuinely useful. She is particularly passionate about helping professionals understand the why behind what they do so that their practice becomes more intentional, compassionate, and effective.

Dani also brings an unusual creative dimension to her work. A lifelong dancer and cellist, she understands learning and well-being as embodied experiences—not simply cognitive ones. Movement, music, creativity, and sensory experience have shaped both her personal journey and her professional perspective, reinforcing her belief that people grow when they are given opportunities to engage their whole selves.

At the heart of Dani’s work is a simple idea: people flourish when they are known for their strengths, given meaningful tools, and invited to grow with curiosity rather than judgment. Through SEL coaching, professional development, consultation, and educational programming, she creates thoughtful, engaging experiences that help individuals and communities move beyond simply getting by and toward greater connection, confidence, vitality, and growth.