About Dawn
My Journey
Like many of the clients we see at Windows of Hope Counseling, I too have experienced significant challenges that have shaped me into the person I am today.
My parents married young after discovering my mother was pregnant with my older sister when my mother was only 16 years old, so they weren’t adequately prepared to start a family. My father was diagnosed with Manic-Depressive disorder soon after their wedding and became addicted to alcohol and prescription pills following his diagnosis. I was born four years after their marriage, and three years later, I was sent to foster care while they managed their divorce and alcohol and drug addictions.
Eventually, I was able to reunite with my mother, however, at the age of 15, I was placed in a safe house for my own protection. There, I attended my first therapy session and was finally able to unpack some of my childhood trauma.
My first therapist taught me that I was beautiful and intelligent and that there was nothing I could not do if I put my mind to it. That early experience with therapy set me on the course toward becoming a psychotherapist, and helping others has become my life’s pursuit and passion ever since.
My Personal Experiences Deeply Inform My Work As A Therapist
At this point in my life, substance has already taken all of my family members, many of whom struggled with bipolar disorder and addiction. My grandmother died from cirrhosis of the liver. My grandfather died from a fall when intoxicated, and my father died from suicide during a depressive episode.
The greatest lesson I learned from my loved ones’ collective story is that everyone needs a safe place to process their life experiences, both joyful and the sorrowful. I opened the non-profit Windows of Hope Counseling Center with this idea in mind. My mission is to offer accessible and affordable counseling for those in need—for those who long for someone to connect with and witness their pain.
The opposite of addiction is connection, and substance is one way my family chose to manage symptoms associated with their mental health symptoms. The focus of my work is helping couples, families, and individuals create a healthy and safe connection, where they can learn open communication practices and allow true healing to take place.
What Is My Counseling Philosophy?
I believe we are all individuals on the journey to authenticity, which is why I’m not as interested in the idea of “feeling better” as much as I’m interested in helping people become their most authentic selves. I hear people wish for a “happy life,” but I believe life is not always “happy.”
What most of us really need and want is “connection” in all of our experiences! We want connection in our happiness and sadness—in our pain and joy and grief. My goal is to help clients identify underlying issues and uncover deeper emotions so we can understand those forces and navigate them better in daily life.
Neal Donald Walsh said, “Perfect love is to feeling what perfect white is to color. Many think that white is the absence of color. It is not. It is the inclusion of all color. White is every color that exists, combined. So, too, is love not the absence of an emotion (hatred, anger, lust, jealousy, covetousness), but the summation of all feeling. It is the sum total. The aggregate amount. The everything!”
I believe healing is exactly this. When we move into acceptance, we find peace!
How Windows Of Hopes Counseling Center Differs From Other Providers
I opened this non-profit in 2006 with the mission of offering affordable, effective, and accessible counseling to the community. I have an open theoretical policy for all of the trainees and associates I employ, which permits us to offer a dynamic range of theoretical therapeutic orientations to our clients.
We also have many therapists on staff so that families can visit one facility together for all of their mental health needs. There is no limit to how many sessions clients can attend, as we welcome them to take all the time necessary to work through deeper underlying issues.
What Makes Me Unique As A Person And A Therapist?
I have birthed and raised many children during my lifetime. I am a wife, a mother, a grandmother, and an aunt, so I know the importance of connection and caring for others. With a family history of addiction and mental health disorders, I’m not only educated about symptoms and the impact of these issues, but I’m also well-equipped to best treat these disorders.
Since beginning my educational journey in 1987, I’ve become experienced and skilled in many different theoretical orientations. I’ve trained in Family Systems as well as Psychodynamic, Cognitive Behavioral, Postmodern theories, Imago Couples Counseling, Encountered-Couples Counseling and Compassionate Inquiry all of which are subjects I teach to the Marriage and Family Therapy students working toward their master’s degree at several universities. I’ve also hired, supervised, and trained students working towards their MFT license.
What Is My Life Like Outside Of Therapy?
I am an artist and quilt designer—and I love to play and travel with my husband and our blended family. We live in Southern California near the beach where my husband and I share six children and eight grandchildren.
Though I love relaxing and enjoying time with family, therapy is at the core of who I am. That’s why I often find myself traveling with my husband to each of our facilities, visiting all of the trainees and associates, and spending time sharing our knowledge with them.
Dawn Dominguez a licensed marriage and family therapist. She is the founder, supervisor, and director of Windows of Hope Counseling Centers, offering services online worldwide, and in person in both Palm Desert and Long Beach, California. With a background as an instructor at Chapman University, Brandman University, and UMASS Global University, Dawn is currently teaching through Windows Of Hope as a Continuing Education Provider and Imago Couples Workshop Presenter. She is certified in Imago Relationship Therapy and Encountered Couples Therapy. Dawn is currently training with Dr. Gabor Mate practicing Compassionate Inquiry Counseling. With this training, Dawn offers an eclectic approach to both her therapy sessions and in her work as an Imago Workshop Presenter for couples.