Beautiful Journey Counseling®

ABOUT DAWN
While working toward my Bachelor’s in Sociology at Wilkes University, I decided that I wanted to pursue social work. I love volunteering and helping people, and wanted to make that my career. After receiving my Masters of Social Work from Marywood University, I spent a year volunteering in Massachusetts as an AmeriCorps member. Here, I worked with youth experiencing homelessness and food insecurity.

As far as my professional experience, I have mostly worked with children and adolescents. I have worked on a school-based team and in a partial hospitalization program. I also have experience as a level of care assessor, determining the appropriate level of care for children, adolescents, and adults, from psychiatric to substance abuse to co-occurring disorders.

I received my postgraduate certification in Veterinary Social Work from the University of Tennessee in 2020. I am specially trained to work with compassion fatigue among veterinary staff, recognizing the link between violence against animals and domestic violence/violence against children, utilizing Animal-Assisted Interventions, and working with individuals regarding pet loss. This topic in particular interested me in grief and bereavement, which led to me also becoming a Certified Grief-Informed Professional through Evergreen Certifications.

In my personal time, I enjoy reading, hiking, being outside, and spending time with my husband and cat.

APPROACH TO THERAPY
My approach is that you are the expert of your life. I am here to help you become the person you want to be and reach the goals you have for yourself. Therapy is collaborative, so we will be working together to help you reach your therapy goals. I do that by developing a strong therapeutic relationship where patients feel safe and supported in speaking their truths. I work from a holistic, person-centered approach. I incorporate a variety of therapy techniques, such as CBT/DBT, art therapy techniques, narrative therapy, and mindfulness. I am willing to explore a variety of approaches in order to fit the needs of my clients. I am also interested in the healing power of nature and how this could benefit individuals in therapy.