Denise Gonyea Durak, Psy.d

puremichigan@yahoo.com

2401 Inverness Drive / Valparaiso, Indiana 46383

Spouse:  Gary M. Durak, Ph.D.

Children:  Michael Durak / Nancy Zakutansky

Education:  BA 1975 Oakland University / MA 1979 Central Michigan University /
Psy.D. 1995 Illinois School of Professional Psychology

Bio: After graduating from high school I took a year off to travel before going on to higher education. I travelled around the US, Canada and Europe.

Following my travel, I studied psychology and fine arts at Oakland University, where I was also in the University Choir. I met my husband at a choir concert at Oakland, we soon became fast friends, and we have been together ever since. We married in 1984, after we had both gone our own ways to pursue our doctoral degrees in Clinical Psychology.

In 1980 we moved to Valparaiso, Indiana, after having lived in Ottawa Canada, Up State New York and Cincinnati, Ohio; so I could attend graduate school in Chicago. At that time my husband Gary Durak had already graduated with his doctoral degree and I had my masters degree; both of us in Clinical Psychology. We choose to live in Valparaiso because we could both find jobs and because we couldn't afford to live in the city! I worked at a community mental health center while continuing my doctoral studies in Chicago, doing a variety of interesting internships in neurology, psychiatry, and community mental health.

I took some time off here and there while we had two children, Michael now 31 and engaged, and Nancy now 27 and married. We eventually grew to love living in Valparaiso, so we put down roots in private practice which continues today. We love living in this area because it is close to the Lake Michigan lake shore, an easy drive to our favorite vacation spots in Traverse City, not such a long drive home to Birmingham to visit with family and friends, and of course close to all the arts and culture in Chicago. 

I have been involved in our community as a volunteer for most of my adult life. My husband and I had our own practice for many years, eventually forming Durak and Associates where we work with a group of other psychologists and lawyers doing different tasks, and now specifically for public safety. My two children work in public safety as well: specifically my son, daughter, son in law Charles, and soon to be daughter in law Meagan, are all in the emergency health care field. We are fortunate our family has all decided to stay within the same geographical area. My son will be married in 2021. We have no grandchildren yet, but we hear there are plans!

As we work towards retirement, we have spent more time traveling. We try to stay fit by going to the gym and walking regularly. I have returned to my love of fine arts, specifically abstract painting. And of course we strive to maintain our friendships we have made along our life's journey.

Warmly,
Denise Gonyea Durak

My photos:
Our daughter Nancy and her husband Charles / Our son Michael and his fiancé Meagan / Nancy and Charles wedding / My husband Gary and I at a convention / Our children as children.