Dawn Chillon

The painful experiences that shaped who you became do not have to determine who you are in the future. For 27 years I have led individuals in healing from past painful experiences, so they don't turn into lifelong problems. I am an attachment and trauma expert working with individuals, couples, and families dealing with trauma, attachment wounds, relationship breakdown, and life's hardest passages. I founded the Attachment and Trauma Institute in Richmond, Virginia in 2006, where our team of thirty Counselors have focused on attachment-based care since the beginning. My areas of depth include emotional regulation, family conflict, attachment repair and trauma recovery including: individual counseling and couples rebuilding connection after years of distance or betrayal; family breakdown, parent child relationships and adults carrying trauma they have never fully named. I am licensed in Virginia and Florida and see clients via telehealth. I also offer weekend intensives for couples and families (consultation required). A free consultation call is always the first step — it's a chance to talk, no pressure, and decide together if we're a good fit.

I start by trying to understand the story beneath the struggle. Most of the time, what feels like a behavior problem, a communication breakdown, or an emotional wall has a deeper root — and that root is where the real work happens. My approach is attachment-focused at its core. I draw from the fields of Attachment, Trauma and Neuroscience using Narrative Therapy, Gestalt, Psychodynamic work and Somatic therapy depending on what each person or family needs. For couples, I look to understand how their history contributes to how they attach in relationship. I am direct but warm. I will name what I see. I believe healing happens in relationship — not just through techniques — and that the work between therapist and client is part of the medicine.

The first session is mostly about me listening. I want to understand where you are, what brought you here, and what you hope will be different. We'll talk through your goals and I'll share my initial sense of what might help. For couples, I spend time understanding your dynamic as a pair — where the disconnection lives, what the pattern looks like, and what each of you needs to feel safe enough to do this work. For families, I want to understand where each person fits in the picture. Sessions are 55 minutes. I see young children through adults. Younger teens and children are seen with a parent or guardian present. Before our first full session, we always start with a free 15 minute consultation call so you can ask questions and feel sure before committing. I look forward to meeting you!