Services

Counseling Formats

  • Individual
  • Couple
  • Family
  • Group: Family of Origin, Adolescent, Couples, Women, Men
  • Solution Focused Therapy
  • Distance Counseling

I pride myself on being more than just someone to listen, but someone to help you look at things a different way. It’s important to face the challenges of life head-on, but with the right tools and resources in your arsenal. That all starts with a healthy mind, and a fresh perspective. From there, focusing on your well-being, mental and emotional health, and physical wellness comes into play like never before. You’re taking the first steps on a journey, but you’re not taking them alone.

Frequently Addressed Issues


Premarital Issues
Marital and Relationship Issues
Divorce Issues
Family of Origin Issues
Family Conflict
Parent/Child Conflict
Abuse Issues
Adolescent Issues
Self-harm
Forgiveness Issues
Issues of Shame, Anger/Rage, Control, Chaos

Difficulties with Feelings and Behavior
Stress, Depression, Anxiety, Low self-esteem
Poor self-image
Weight Issues
Adjustment Issues
Grief and Loss Issues
Adoption Issues
Personal Growth Issues
School/Career Counseling Issues

As a professional therapist, my role is to guide you as you take steps towards positive life changes, healing, and a healthy mind. Together we’ll work to uncover and better understand life’s challenges and day-to-day stressors that detract from your life and focus, and begin identifying and practicing things that will make you stronger.

Couples Counseling

I have completed Levels 1 and 2 Training in Gottman Method Couples Therapy. Therefore, I use this approach when working with couples. Also, through Gottman training, I have had specialized training in the following areas: affairs, addiction, alcoholism and drug addiction, treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and violence.

The Gottman Method is an approach to couples therapy that includes a thorough assessment of the couple relationship and integrates research-based interventions based on the Sound Relationship House Theory.

Gottman Method Couples Therapy

Couples who enter into Gottman Method Couples Therapy begin with an assessment process that then informs the therapeutic framework and intervention.

Assessment

A conjoint session, followed by individual interviews with each partner are conducted. Couples complete questionnaires and then receive detailed feedback on their relationship.

Therapeutic Framework

The couple and therapist decide on the frequency and duration of the sessions.

Therapeutic Interventions

Interventions are designed to help couples strengthen their relationships in three primary areas: friendship, conflict management, and creation of shared meaning. Couples learn to replace negative conflict patterns with positive interactions and to repair past hurts. Interventions designed to increase closeness and intimacy are used to improve friendship, deepen emotional connection, and create changes which enhances the couples shared goals. Relapse prevention is also addressed.

Goals and Principles of the Gottman Method

The goals of Gottman Method Couples Therapy are to disarm conflicting verbal communication, increase intimacy, respect, and affection, remove barriers that create a feeling of stagnancy in conflicting situations, and create a heightened sense of empathy and understanding within the context of the relationship.

Excerpt from The Gottman Institute.

Assessment Tools

Dr. Dunn is trained and certified to administer the following assessment tools:

  • Prepare-Enrich for Premarital and Marital Counseling
  • SYMBIS (Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts) for Premarital and Young Marriage Counseling
  • Beck Depression Inventory
  • Beck Anxiety Inventory
  • SASSI for Measuring Substance Usage
  • Marital Satisfaction Inventory
  • John Gottman’s Relationship Checkup

Assessments can help to fine-tune and focus your treatment plan to ensure a successful counseling experience. Depending on the issues for which you are seeking help, Dr. Dunn may recommend one or several of these assessments. You are not required to take any assessments that are recommended, although they are very beneficial in providing insight that will help you and Dr. Dunn better understand your issues.

Benefits of assessments are:

  • To help the therapist learn much valuable information quickly and early in treatment, thus increasing relief for clients.
  • To help a therapist with diagnosis and better treatment planning.
  • To sometimes help clients to learn more about themselves and other family members/spouse.
  • To help a couple to become aware of areas that need more attention in their relationship as well as understanding their strengths, in the case of premarital counseling.

You will be given advance notice of any extra charges associated with assessments.