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Dawn Smith

LPC, 4 years of experience

Authentic
Empowering
Warm

About me

As a mother of five, wife, and career educator, I have a wide range of experience from which to guide, advise, and assist clients in their personal pursuit of happiness and self-fulfillment. I take an integrative approach with clients as partners in their own care. A strong therapeutic relationship is at the core of my practice, with a healthy dose of cognitive behavioral therapy, a person-centered approach, and mindfulness training. Providing a space of warmth and compassion offers the safety clients need to confidently make changes. I believe that the right fit must be a significant consideration before moving forward with establishing a therapeutic relationship.

Get to know me

In our first session together, here's what you can expect

I don't take the decision to begin therapy lightly. In the first session, I establish a safe and supportive space for clients to share their story, state their goals for therapy, and learn about ways I feel I can help them achieve desired outcomes. By addressing clients' understanding and/or concerns for the therapeutic process, I help the client ease into the process and find comfort in moving forward.

The biggest strengths that I bring into our sessions

As a career-change psychotherapist with over 20 years in independent school education, I have been serving the needs of children and helping individuals and families trade discord for harmony for decades. The desire to help on a deeper level drew me to the counseling profession. I credit my own personal therapy experience with changing the trajectory of my life. I encourage clients to be brave and boldly take this step toward controlling their destiny.

The clients I'm best positioned to serve

I have a special affinity for women’s issues, young adults establishing independence, empty nesters, and the challenges in life that disrupt relationships, families, and feelings of success. Women are achieving at rates that can often feel intimidating to the people with whom they work, learn, and love. Effective therapy can heal, help, and support the strength of a woman, and the people in her village. This work is achieved through a variety of settings and formats in hopes that one of them resonates with you.

Specialties

Top specialties

Anxiety
Life Transitions
Women's Issues

Other specialties

Bipolar Disorder
Coping Skills
Couples Counseling
Depression
Mood Disorders
Parenting
Peer Relationships
Post Partum
Racism
Self Esteem

I identify as

Black / African American
Woman

Serves ages

Adults (18 to 64)
Elders (65 and above)

My treatment methods

Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)

I use CBT to address negative thought processes that contribute to a cycle of negative behavior, emotions, and outcomes. Examining the client's belief system can lead to discoveries about self that lead to positive changes and a more fulfilling life.

Narrative

Clients often discover that they have bought into a negative life story that is impacting the way they think and experience life. Understanding and dismantling that story and rewriting the narrative can be helpful in self-discovery and living into their own values and goals.

Location

Virtual

Licensed in

District of Columbia
Maryland

Accepts

Aetna
All Savers
AvMed
Cash - $150 per session
EAP:UnitedHealthcare/Optum
Golden Rule
Harvard Pilgrim/UnitedHealthcare
UnitedHealthcare/Optum
Optum
OptumHealth Complex Medical Conditions
Oscar
Oxford
Surest (formerly Bind)
United Medical Resources
UnitedHealthcare Life Insurance
UnitedHealthcare Shared Services
UnitedHealthcare StudentResources
Rated 0.0 stars out of 5, 0 ratings
This provider hasn’t received any written reviews yet. We started collecting written reviews January 1, 2025.

Dawn Smith is fully booked.