It is interesting to note that Dana Dentata’s parents were both teachers and graduated from the University of Minnesota. The two graduated on the same day but since graduating in very different fields. They married young and had two children before Dana, whose father became a doctor. It was quite a demanding job and she could not help being unhappy about her height and weight, which did not help her to get any further in the profession. But with her parents’ encouragement and support, Dana began to work harder at gaining the extra inches and even though she never liked the way she looked, her parents did not blame her for it.
As her career took off and she was very successful in her chosen field, Dana began to feel more at ease with her height. She had always imagined herself as a tall thin woman, but now she felt much happier about her size. In fact, she even considered going to the next step in her career and becoming a physical therapist. However, when it came time for an upgrade to her physical therapist license, her national certification was not acceptable in the state of Minnesota.
She was devastated and blamed herself for not looking her best in a dress uniform, as she saw her as a physical therapist first and a psychologist second. She now realizes that she must have fixed her self-image if her national certification was not valid in her state. She still loves her profession but wishes that people would realize that she is more than just a taller person.