Dawn Livingston

Here's what I want you to know up front: I'm not going to make you feel like a case file. My background is in crisis intervention, case management, and advocacy — which means I've sat with people at their most unraveling moments, and I've learned that the most important thing isn't having a perfect therapeutic technique. It's making someone feel genuinely seen before asking them to do anything hard.

I specialize in trauma and substance use, and I work with individuals and families across all of Kentucky via telehealth. I'm also one of the very few therapists in the state who is fluent in American Sign Language — so if you or someone in your family communicates in ASL, you don't have to compromise on the quality of care you receive.

I'm openly LGBTQIA+-affirming, and I mean that in practice, not just on a checklist. I've worked with people across the gender and sexuality spectrum and genuinely enjoy holding that space.

My approach draws from DBT, Trauma-Focused CBT, Motivational Interviewing, and Strengths-Based therapy — but what that really means in practice is that I adapt to you. I'm not going to put you in a box or make every session feel like homework.

What I care about most is meeting you where you are — not where you "should" be. If you're in active recovery and some weeks feel like a backslide, we work with that. If you've experienced trauma that makes sitting still feel impossible, we work with that too. I bring energy, honesty, and a real sense of humor into sessions when it's appropriate — because healing doesn't have to be rigid or heavy every single time.

I work with adolescents, adults, and seniors — and I believe that regardless of age, every person deserves a therapist who actually wants to be in the room with them.

Expect a Fireside Chat — not a clinical intake. Yes, I'll cover the logistics and what to expect from our work together (I keep this brief, I promise). But the heart of our first session is simple: you talk, I listen. Tell me what brought you here. Tell me what's exhausted you. Tell me what you've already tried.

There's no pressure to have it all figured out or to present a polished version of yourself. My only goal in that first hour is for you to leave thinking, "Okay. I can come back."

Availability includes morning, afternoon, and evening slots — because I know life doesn't pause for your mental health appointments. I accept Aetna, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Carelon Behavioral Health, and Cigna, and I'm licensed to serve all of Kentucky via secure video sessions.