I grew up in the beautiful Green Mountains of Vermont which cultivated my deep connection to nature and love of the outdoors. I am an avid hiker and have hiked in the Green Mountains, the Adirondacks, and the Himalayas both in Nepal and India. I came to Rochester to pursue my college education over 20 years ago and have since made Rochester, NY my second home. I have a love of travelling and of cross-cultural communication which was inspired by my international work with students in community college where I worked as a therapist for the past 13 years.
My passion is inspiring people to maximize their life potential by helping them release the ties that are binding them to unhappiness and suffering. Many people look at counseling as a place they go to obtain help with their problems, and sometimes this turns them off to the process because it suggests that there is a deficit of some sort within themselves. The heart of counseling is not to help or to fix, the heart of counseling is to create the natural conditions for growth wherein the client (that’s you!) evolves beyond the problems they are experiencing and discovers the depths of their own personal power that they can bring to any life challenge.
My counseling philosophy is influenced by positive psychology, the scientific study of the strengths that enable individuals to thrive. It is founded on the belief that people want to lead meaningful and fulfilling lives, to cultivate what is best within themselves, and to enhance their experiences of love, work, and play.
My approach is also deeply rooted in yoga philosophy which is an ancient tradition of self-healing and personal realization. I fell in love with yoga nearly 10 years ago when I embarked upon yoga as a means of dealing with chronic back pain. What I discovered in my first year of practice is that my back pain was much deeper than physical. My back pain was also connected to emotional pain and tension that I had been harboring for years, and yoga helped bring that to the surface. This was the beginning of a true awakening, and significant growth. It is through my personal practice of yoga that I have found the greatest therapy tool—the body! Our bodies hold so much wisdom and the practice of tuning into the body is a powerful instrument for transformation unlike any other. Therefore my approach to counseling has a strong focus on using the body’s wisdom and teaching clients how they can learn to pay better attention and tap into this great resource.
Additional areas of focus: Addictions, LGBT, Trauma and abuse, Grief, Intimacy-related issues, Eating disorders, Sleeping disorders, Anger management, Self esteem, Career difficulties, Bipolar disorder
NY LMHC 004745
These quotes represent just a few of the many positive reviews that we have received for Audra Dion. We don't pay anyone to provide their review and they are all made voluntarily. Some people's experience receiving therapy with BetterHelp might be different.
Great to talk with and she's a dog person!!
Written on Aug 28, 2018 after therapy with Audra for 10 months
Audra is a warm and thoughtful person who managed to deeply understand everything I shared with her and to offer me valuable perspective on things. Our conversations helped me learn a lot of things about myself, value myself more and be more compassionate towards myself.
Written on Aug 29, 2017 after therapy with Audra for 1 month on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, addictions, trauma and abuse, grief, intimacy-related, self esteem, anger, and career
Audra has been helping me through a very difficult time and has done so with compassion and understanding. I am always happy to receive a reply from her as she is calm and reassuring. She helps me to feel less crazy! I am very thankful for her help.
Written on Aug 03, 2017 after therapy with Audra for 2 weeks on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, relationship, family, trauma and abuse, grief, self esteem, and career