Therapist Dawn Discenza Photo

Dawn Discenza, LCMHC

Stress, Anxiety LGBT Trauma and abuse Depression
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About me

My name is Dawn. I am a licensed clinical mental health counselor and have been licensed in North Carolina since 2014. I have worked in the mental health field for 20 plus years; with many of those years working with children and teens and their families. Since being licensed I have been working with all age groups; starting with those at the age of 5. I have worked with clients with a wide range of concerns including depression, anxiety, relationship issues, parenting problems, career challenges, OCD and ADHD. I have worked with those who struggle with PTSD for many reasons; including but not limited to: domestic violence; rape/sexual abuse; physical abuse; neighborhood violence; disasters; military time and others.

My counseling style is friendly and interactive. I am not passive. I believe in treating everyone with respect, sensitivity, and compassion, and I don't believe in focusing time on labels. My approach combines a combination of evidenced based therapies including cognitive-behavioral, dialectic behavioral, motivational interviewing and others. I will modify our time, discussions and treatment plan to meet your unique and specific needs.

It takes a lot to reach out and ask for help. I am so glad that you did.

I look forward to working with you!

Professional experience

10yrs in practice

Additional areas of focus: Addictions, Relationship issues, Family conflicts, Grief, Intimacy-related issues, Parenting issues, Self esteem, Career difficulties, Bipolar disorder, Coping with life changes, ADHD, Abandonment, Attachment Issues, Autism and Asperger Syndrome, BDSM, Kink, Alternative Sex Culture, Blended Family Issues, Caregiver Issues and Stress, Co-morbidity, Codependency, Commitment Issues, Communication Problems, Control Issues, Coping with Natural or Human-Caused Disaster, Dependent Personality, Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD), Dissociation, Divorce and Separation, Domestic Violence, Drug and Alcohol Addiction, Eating and Food-Related Issues, Emptiness, Expats, Family of Origin Issues, Family Problems, Fertility Issues, Forgiveness, Gender Dysphoria, Guilt and Shame, Impulsivity, Infidelity, Intellectual Disability, Isolation/Loneliness, Jealousy, Life Purpose, Midlife Crisis, Mood Disorders, Narcissism, Obsessions, Compulsions, and OCD, Panic Disorder and Panic Attacks, Personality Disorders, Phobias, Polyamory / Nonmonogamous Relationships, Postpartum Depression, Post-traumatic Stress, Pregnancy and Childbirth, Prejudice and Discrimination, Process addiction (porn, exercise, gambling), Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), Self-Harm, Self-Love, Sex Addiction, Sexual Assault and Abuse, Sexuality, Social Anxiety and Phobia, Trichotillomania, Women's Issues, Workplace Issues, Young Adult Issues

Clinical approaches: Attachment-Based Therapy, Client-Centered Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Mindfulness Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Solution-Focused Therapy, Trauma-Focused Therapy

License information

NC LCMHC 10829

Reviews

These quotes represent just a few of the many positive reviews that we have received for Dawn Discenza. 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.

Dawn is very approachable, very helpful, and a great resource on my mental health journey

Written on Apr 30, 2023 after therapy with Dawn for 10 months on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, and trauma and abuse

She’s great! She listens and is very down to earth. It’s like talking to a friend I know won’t judge me

Written on Apr 20, 2023 after therapy with Dawn for 11 months on issues concerning depression, relationship issues, self esteem, career difficulties, and adhd

Dawn listens with intent. Her responses to your information provided gives you a perspective from the outside looking in but with a inside understanding. Non judgmental and doesn’t just tell you what you want to hear. Great job.

Written on Mar 28, 2023 after therapy with Dawn for 2 weeks on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, relationship issues, trauma and abuse, self esteem, and anger management

Dawn is an engaging therapist who met my needs.

Written on Dec 18, 2022 after therapy with Dawn for 4 months on issues concerning stress, anxiety, relationship issues, intimacy-related issues, parenting issues, career difficulties, and coping with life changes

Dawn has been a great constant guide and listener and she excels at empathy. She's very positive, responds well to my needs, and is a wholesome and compassionate expert.

Written on Nov 15, 2022 after therapy with Dawn for 2 weeks on issues concerning stress, anxiety, lgbt, trauma and abuse, grief, intimacy-related issues, and coping with life changes

I absolutely love her chill vibe and laid back attitude. It's like talking to a to your best bud with an additional truckload of wisdom and life experience. The fact that Dawn was also an empath made it very easy to explain my daily emotional havoc wreaked inside. This was our first session, but,, THIS WAS KISMET. There are no accidents. Best experience i've ever had with an online therapist on any platform. THANK YOU, DAWN! I'm scheduling our next session now. Written with gratitude.

Written on Jun 26, 2022 after therapy with Dawn for 2 days on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, relationship issues, trauma and abuse, self esteem, career difficulties, bipolar disorder, coping with life changes, and coaching