Biography

I am a wife and mother, educator and entrepreneur, clinical psychologist and writer with a long history of advocacy for children, adolescents, and adults, including disabled individuals, foster children & their families, abused & neglected children as well as exceptional children struggling to complete rigorous advanced academic programs, and, engagement with the community.

Education

Bachelor’s degree with High Honors, Philosophy, University of Florida

Master of Divinity with a special focus on Pastoral Care & Counseling, Duke University

Doctor of Psychology, Clinical Psychology, Illinois School of Professional Psychology, Argosy University Chicago 

Licensed Psychologist Wisconsin | Florida

Certified Food Over Medicine Instructor, Dr. Pam Popper's Wellness Forum Institute of Health Studies

Curriculum Vitae

Character

“excellence ... resourceful ... determined.” — Clinical Psychologist, Therapeutic Externship Supervisor

“mature and quite sophisticated compared to many graduate psychology students ... Positive, enthusiastic, warm and resilient ... a pleasure ... good sense of humor” — Psychologist-Professor Social Psychology & Difference, Doctoral Dissertation Chair

“Her practica clinical supervisors agree that she is a mature person ... an individual who is mature and confident as a professional with a strong commitment to helping others. . . . Dawn’s responsiveness to and awareness of other persons is noteworthy ... as a person, Dawn is very positive, enthusiastic, and warm. She joins in discussion with insight and perceptive commentary ... I am particularly appreciative of Dawn’s maturity. Her life experience and personal integration are real advantages in terms of her ability to interact with others ... I found her work to be consistently excellent, in fact, her work surpassed that of most other students. — Psychologist-Professor of Health & Dysfunction & Psychopharmacology, Member of Dissertation Committee

“Dawn’s work reflected an unusually thoughtful and sincere approach to the material that suggested maturity and a high degree of self-awareness ... Dawn is a sincere and caring person who relates well to others ... energetic and eager to learn and always seems to do more than is expected — Psychologist-Professor of Child Development

“good clinical judgment ... maturity in her personal and professional relationships” — Child Psychologist-Professor, Mentor

“she impressed me as a diligent and able student, a woman who possesses a rare sense of maturity at so young an age, and someone who has integrated her personality into a nice balance of practicality and idealism. She has a warm personality and genuine concern for others, as well as integrity ... I believe Dawn is a superior student whose intelligence and maturity commend her to one and all — Robert L. Flowers Professor of Old Testament, Duke University

“Dawn has my highest support and deepest admiration. I have been impressed from the beginning and throughout that Dawn is a person of extraordinary gifts. — Director of Pastoral Services, Clinical Professor of Pastoral Care, Duke University Medical Center, former colleague & boss

“Her personal skills in dealing with people, the knowledge of her work, and her pleasant nature will allow any job in which she is assigned to be carried out smoothly, pleasantly, and in an exceptional manner, due largely to her endeavors. — Physician-President, Duval County Medical Society, former boss

“It is my opinion that Dawn is highly intelligent, knowledgable, clinically astute, hardworking and caring. She is enthusiastic, genuine, sensitive ... and professional in her dealings with colleagues. Her background in philosophy, theology, and psychology, combined with her people skills and motivation to help others provide her with a unique perspective. She is well-liked and respected by patients and staff alike and she has been a valuable asset to our unit. — Unit Psychiatrist-Mentor, Elgin Mental Health Center

“a tireless and energetic worker who eagerly sought all available opportunities to enhance her psychological knowledge. She proved to be a good team member of an interdisciplinary treatment team. I highly recommend her and I would consider any team fortunate to have her on board.” — Chief Forensic Psychologist & Director of Training, Internship Supervisor, Elgin Mental Health Center

“In the group Dawn participated actively providing meaningful, helpful feedback to other group members. In this way her involvement deepened the group experience, as a learning process. She was simply enjoyable to work with and this was evident in this group’s response to her as well. . . . Dawn’s experience in the study of philosophy, theology, and pastoral education has led her to accrue a series of counseling experiences in the United States and abroad addressing such issues as grief counseling, HIV patients and working with trauma and transplant patients in medical settings. This diversity of experience has provided her with unusual seasoning ... “ — Psychologist-Professor, Diagnostic Seminar Supervisor

“Her interviewing skills were at a level substantially higher than most pre-doctoral students . . . superb communication and relational skills.” — Psychologist-Director, Midwest Counseling, Diagnostic Externship Supervisor

“I would place Dawn in the top 5% of students I have had the pleasure to work with over the years. . . . What impresses one most about Dawn is her depth and sensitivity; she is extraordinarily thoughtful and insightful. Dawn is clearly very intelligent, but her intellectual understanding is laced with a maturity of judgment and a sense of compassion that is most remarkable. — Psychologist- Professor of Health & Dysfunction

“Personally, she is a delightful person to be around.” Presbyterian Pastor, former boss

Values

The Power of Positive Thinking | Gratitude

A positive perspective and emotional style is a buffer against all forms of sickness | Gratitude is a natural antidote to depression & anxiety | Happiness is a choice

Service | Advocacy 

Practical action based on self knowledge and understanding of personal values & interests is vital to character development, personal growth, wellbeing, and living a meaningful life. 

Character | Virtue | Practical Wisdom

Excellence of character and soundness of mind combined with balance through moderation of enjoyment and due proportion in life is essential to the good life. We become virtuous people by practicing virtue.

Faith | Freedom | Liberty

Choice and Responsibility | Elements of the good life

Reason

Sound Logic | Clarity | Rational thinking

Emotional Intelligence

Emotions are a source of knowledge that inform reason and direct action. Emotional intelligence is a more true indicator of intelligence than cognitive capacity alone.  Many highly intelligent individuals are emotionally arrested and thus have poor social skills, which translates into social / relational impairments.  Healthy relationships are essential to human flourishing.

Respect | Dignity | Cooperation

Because power has its limits, I advance knowledge of the value of cooperation | Peaceful, non violent solutions to problems | Dignity and Respect and for all persons

Selected Achievements | Accomplishments | Experience

• Adjunct Professor in Psychology at Carroll University, Waukesha

• Divorce Coach & Child Specialist for the Collaborative Family Law Council of Wisconsin

• Wrote the first Collaborative Family Law Council parenting plan | educational/training program to be accepted in Walworth County District Court

• Therapist for developmentally disabled individuals, chronically mentally ill, foster children | families, & other special needs individuals

• Advocate for the welfare, well being and best interests of children and families in collaboration with other counselors, Guardian Ad Litems, Courts, social services agencies, juvenile court programs, group homes, sex offender programs

• Served the underserved population in the southernmost region of Appalachia — a designated healthcare shortage area — for a decade through the National Health Service Corp.

• Performed Parenting Evaluations for the Department of Social Services

• Provided Expert Witness services in both District & Superior Court related to criminal cases, custody disputes, and a child abuse trial in which I was the therapist for the abused children

• Conducted intelligence and adaptive life skills assessment for developmentally disabled children

• Established an independent, private forensic practice specializing in conducting criminal responsibility assessments while at the same time completing post-doctoral training

• Respectfully declined to obey a District court order ordering me to force a child to visit with his estranged mother on the grounds that it was “inappropriate and unethical” for me to do so; forced visitation constitutes a violation of a psychologist’s professional code of ethics, and all of the five Ethical Principals underlying that Code. I was subsequently fired by the Department of Social Services as the child & family therapist. However, once the Department was no longer involved with the child and family, the child and family chose to return to my care.

• Organizational Psychologist | Consultant to a contract manufacturing company for 4 years, providing executive leadership coaching, leadership assessment and development, supervisor training, team building, conflict resolution and EAP services, and selection evaluations for all candidates for leadership positions

• Consultant to two local law enforcement agencies; provided psychological evaluations for law enforcement officer candidates

• Employee Assistance Program | Provider for the United States Post Office

• Nominated by the North Carolina Psychology Association to be appointed by the Governor of North Carolina to serve on the North Carolina Psychology Board as the Mountain Representative to the Board of Directors

• Newspaper Columnist — Human Flourishing, Cherokee Scout. Perspectives on human health & wellness, health care policy, mental health & illness, and psychotropic medication use/misuse/abuse

• Challenged powerful forces and prevailed in a lawsuit against the Cherokee County Department of Social Services

  • my victory set a precedent in the District court regarding payment expectations for court-ordered expert witness services provided by mental health experts in judicial proceedings.

Other Achievements | Experience

• Illinois Certified Nursing Aide

• Florida Licensed Real Estate Agent

• Referral Agent, Research Specialist, Watson Realty, Relocation Division

• Membership Director, Duval County Medical Society

• Church Administrator, Covenant Presbyterian Church

Community Service

• Hartland Pubic Library Board Trustee, 2021 - 2023

• Milwaukee Community Sailing Center, 2018 - 2019

• Volunteer, Jewish Home and Care Center, & Chai Point Senior Living Milwaukee 2015 - 2017

• Volunteer, Keep Greater Milwaukee Beautiful, 2014

• Board Director, Hurlburt-Johnson Friendship House/Homeless Shelter Murphy NC 2013-2014

• Provider Liaison to the Board, Potters Touch — a United Methodist Church organization Asheville NC 2013-2014

• Provider, Potters Touch — Blue Ridge & Smoky Mountain Districts of Western United Methodist Church Conference counseling & spiritual direction services 2010 - 2014

• Cherokee County NC Juvenile Crime Prevention Council 2010 - 2014

• Education Committee, North Carolina Psychology Association 2007

• Board of Trustees, First United Methodist Church Elgin, IL 2002 - 2004

• Education Committee, First United Methodist Church Elgin 2002 - 2004

• Usher, First UMC Elgin 2002 - 2004

• Central Dupage Pastoral Counseling Center, Community Outreach: Led a seminar on the Spirituality of Marriage

• Usher, First United Methodist Church Chicago Temple 2001

• Curriculum Committee, Duke University Divinity School 1999 - 2000

• Communion Steward, Duke Chapel, Duke University, 1997 - 1998

• Women’s Retreat Planning Committee, Trinity United Methodist Church Gainesville, FL 1997

• President, United Methodist Women, Reddick FL 1993

• Member of the Mayor’s Insight Committee and Planning Committee Jacksonville, Florida 1992