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 Hi, I'm Don. I have worked in mental health and social services for 25 years - longer if you count the foster children with special needs we always had in our home while I was growing up, and the volunteer work I did as a teenager. I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (#22042) in the State of California (USA).
I have a bachelor's degree in Social Work as well as a Certificate in International/Intercultural Studies (George Williams College of Aurora University). My specialization in undergraduate school was Child and Adolescent Services, after which I worked in the field for 10 years before returning to school to complete my master's degree (again in Social Work, at the University of Maryland at Baltimore). During graduate school I focused on: brief, solution-focused therapy; psychiatric assessment, diagnosis and evaluation; and substance abuse and dependence.
I have worked in the public and private sectors, in non-profit and for-profit organizations and in such varied settings as community agencies, residential treatment centers, psychiatric hospitals and employee assistance programs, as both a clinician and as a manager/director. I have experience with very diverse client populations and problems. Besides the areas of specialization already noted, my expertise includes: addictions and unhealthy dependencies; sex and sexuality; gay / lesbian / bisexual / transgender issues; HIV/AIDS, disabilities and chronic illness; and spirituality, morality and guilt. I have worked in individual, group, couples and family therapy, long-term psychotherapy, managed behavioral healthcare, program development and evaluation and private practice. I have served on government and other planning boards. My school and work experiences have been broad and wide-ranging, but beyond that I have extensive life experience which I consider equally if not more important.
My goal is to support, encourage and challenge you to find your joy. Your life is your own, and you have your own dreams, wishes and desires. I want to help you to achieve them, and to assist you in doing whatever it takes for you to get there - as long as you are not causing harm to yourself or anyone else. I don't believe that there is any particular road that you have to take to get there, either; people are not make from cookie-cutters, and what works for one person might not work for another. Therefore, my pledge is so support and encourage you to find your individual path, and to challenge you to explore new options for thinking, feeling, doing or being along the way.
I am available for email and live chat consultations (no webcam). My hours are flexible and could include some weekend hours. I am generally online between the hours of 7:00am to 7:00pm Pacific Standard Time (USA). In addition to psychotherapy clients, I welcome contacts with other professionals and budding professionals, managers and agencies. I trust that I can assist you with your concerns, and I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you!
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