About

Hi! My name is Joan Dawson and I’m a Licensed Certified Social Worker-Clinical (LCSW-C) providing counseling to adults in Maryland via telehealth. I specialize in helping clients manage anxiety and stress, heal from past trauma, feel more confident in themselves and connected in their relationships. My approach My goal is to start your healing process right away! We’ll practice techniques from Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR), Mindfulness and Somatic Psychotherapy to see what works best for you and gets you closer to living the life you want to live. My focus I help clients who feel stuck in patterns that aren’t working for them, who feel misunderstood and “too emotional”, and like no matter what they do it’s never good enough. Whether this is due to a life transition or has always been there, I can help you get to the heart of it and learn how to cope. My communication style During sessions, I want to make sure that my clients feel heard, understood and comfortable being themselves. Sessions are a no-judgment zone! I want to hear what you have to say and the best way I can do that is by actively listening and creating a warm, accepting session environment. My journey to mental healthcare My entire career has been centered around making a difference in people's lives. I love it when my clients learn to manage tough situations, stop beating themselves up, and can set boundaries that have brought them peace. There’s nothing more rewarding! My goals for you Together, we’ll work on identifying target areas that are leaving you feeling stuck and overwhelmed, and then work on building skills that improve how you feel about yourself and your life. Because I want to know a client's view of how therapy is going, I’ll check in with you about those goals to make sure we’re moving in the right direction.