- ACT informed
- CBT methods
- Mindfulness practice
About Dawn
Dawn O'Regan is an Iowa Licensed Independent Social Worker (LISW) with 25 years of clinical experience. She works with adults coping with stress, anxiety, depression, relationship and family difficulties, and life changes. Dawn also supports people facing grief, trauma and abuse, issues with self-esteem, addiction concerns, and a range of intimacy and eating-related challenges.
She spent four years as a bachelor-level social worker before graduate school and later earned her independent social work license. Dawn has worked in community mental health, in private group practice, and has run her own individual practice. That range informs how she organizes care and how she matches methods to a person’s goals.
Dawn uses a client-centered way of working, treating each person as the expert on their life. She draws on strengths-based and solution-focused ideas to help people identify what is already working and what to try next. She also uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to map links between thoughts, feelings, and actions.
She offers skill-based support for emotional regulation, communication, and building self-worth. Dawn can introduce tools for distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness, mindfulness, and noticing internal parts of experience when clients are open to that work. Sessions focus on clear steps people can practice between meetings.
Outside of clinical work, Dawn enjoys exercise, yoga, walking, hiking, and meditation. She lives in Iowa, travels with her life partner, and shares her home with two dogs.
How therapeutic approaches shape online sessions
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) focuses on noticing thoughts and feelings without trying to fight them, then choosing actions that match personal values. It can help when someone feels stuck or unsure what matters after a life change.Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors interact. It provides concrete exercises to test unhelpful beliefs and to build different habits for mood and anxiety management.
Mindfulness practice teaches paying attention to the present moment in simple, repeatable ways. That can reduce reactivity and help with emotional regulation and stress management.
Finding the right approach is part of the work. Dawn will collaborate with each person to decide which methods fit their needs and goals. She combines techniques as needed and checks in regularly to see what helps most.
The biography does not list specific online session formats, so confirm available options before booking. Many people find remote sessions easier to fit into daily life, such as shorter check-ins during a work break or audio-only meetings when bandwidth is limited. Online meetings also make it simpler to continue care while traveling or when a regular in-person visit is difficult. Licensed professionals, including this therapist, can adapt exercises and homework so they work in a virtual setting.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
25+ years
Listed in
Iowa
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of problems does she help with?
Dawn helps adults with stress, anxiety, depression, relationship and family difficulties, grief, trauma, self-esteem, addictions, and coping with life changes.
How would she approach feeling stuck or directionless?
She works in a client-centered way and uses strengths-based and solution-focused methods to identify practical next steps and skills to try between sessions.
What is her background and experience?
She has 25 years of experience, including work in community mental health, private group practice, and her own individual practice, plus four years as a bachelor-level social worker before graduate school.
What credentials and location are listed?
She is an Iowa Licensed Independent Social Worker (LISW) and practices from Iowa.
Does she work in languages other than English or with international clients?
Sessions are offered in English and she is not accepting international clients.
What session formats are available?
The original biography does not specify session formats; confirm current session options before booking.
How much do sessions cost?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are in danger, use the crisis numbers.