Published Author, National Speaker, Illustrator

Dawn is a licensed mental health counselor (LMHC) with a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology through the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth, a program approved by the American Psychological Association (APA). She has worked in the mental health field since 2000, and her training and experience include one-on-one treatment as well as family, couples, and group therapy with both children and adults.

With a focus on the wellness of the entire person, not just the “presenting problem,” Dawn's philosophy is that everyone is an individual needing specific care tailored to their current needs, wants, and hopes. In this vein, she devotes much of her time to training clinicians and helping them to acquire the tools they need in an ever-changing therapeutic world.

She has been featured regularly on WSAR and WBSM radio as a mental health expert and participates in national and international radio podcasts regarding mental health issues. Dawn is the internationally best-selling co-author of “Sharing Your Message with the World” and the author and illustrator of “Bats in Your Belly”, a children’s book about anxiety, and "Dragon Worriers", a children's workbook about anxiety. Her children's storybook series, "The Ginger Ninja" will be expanding this year.

Dawn is a sought-after trainer and has enjoyed working with both professional groups and laypeople in a variety of environments, including offices, schools, and university settings. Her humorous and light-hearted approach allow her audience to enjoy the process of learning and to glean new knowledge from both cutting edge research and tried-and-true psychology standards.

As part of her new initiative to focus on children’s needs in the classroom, Dawn created The Ninja Therapist, a company specializing in therapy games and toys. Through her Ginger Ninja storybook series, she introduces children to the magic of her characters, Ginger Ninja, Dandy the Lion, and Sheldon the Turtle, as they learn about life through picture and song. These characters are featured in Dawn’s Katana Cards, a set of situational therapy flashcards that have been implemented in school systems throughout Massachusetts to aid educators in helping children to manage their anxiety quickly and comfortably, and in several safety-themed coloring books. She is currently working with local physicians on a pediatric Katana deck.

Focused on “five sense solutions”, Dawn has created ninja boxes, therapy boxes that feature special items to help with specific disorders and bearing her company slogan: “Life is tough…bring a ninja.” She is currently working on creating therapeutic board games, expanding her children’s book series, and creating mental-health-themed comic books for older children. Through these products the company hopes to continue working on eradicating the stigma of mental health, especially among children.

Dawn is an avid comic book collector and enjoys drawing and painting. When she is not working, you can find her spending time with family and friends or walking her two lovable German Shepherds. She loves video games with her husband, Brian, the computer brains behind the products, when she isn’t drawing or painting. Finally, her pride and joy is her daughter, Layla, the inspiration between the Ginger Ninja.