My Story

After graduating from high school I was not sure what I wanted to do with my life but I always knew that it would be something that I had to have a heart to do, it couldn't just be "a job".  I attended Palm Beach Atlantic University and chose the major of Christian Social Ministry because I thought the title sounded interesting.  Little did I know that that decision put me on the path to finding my calling and dream job of being a social worker.  After obtaining my bachelors degree I went on to attend Florida Atlantic University (FAU) to pursue that calling.  I graduated from FAU in 2010 with a Masters of Social Work degree.  Although my "schooling" may have been completed, I have never stopped learning  and developing my skills.  I went on to obtain my licensure which takes a minimum of 2 years post masters degree.  As part of my licensure requirements, I attend regular trainings in my field to ensure that I am up to date on the best approaches in therapy in order to bring the best support to you. 

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Throughout my career as a social worker I have worked in several arenas that have aided in my growth.  I have worked with children ages 0-5 doing play therapy but a majority has been spent working with adults and the elderly populations.  For 5+ years I worked in the hospice setting bringing emotional support and counseling to those at the bedside of the patient as well as each patient in my care.  It is a time of life that is hard for all parties involved and I felt it was an honor each and every time a person or family allowed me in to be a part of that precious time. 

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Following hospice I worked with people who were struggling with life and needing extra support but were not able to find it or not open to it yet.  I helped to understand peoples' situations and needs and connect them with appropriate resources and referrals to help keep them safe and get them on the road to success. 

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At this point in my career I branched out a bit more to work for a non-profit advocacy foundation that worked with rare-bleeding disorders.  This job allowed me to help others in ways I had never been able to and make an impact on a larger scale.  I was able to attend lobby days in Washington DC and advocate for policy change and connect with social workers throughout the country to help the community live their lives with the resources that they needed and to educate them on their health in relation to the rare bleeding disorder.   

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For the past 2 years I have been providing therapy online to individual clients.  My clients and I have focused on ways to increase hope, positive outlooks, coping skills, and developing healthy boundaries and communication skills.  In 2020 I finally achieved my dream of starting my christian based counseling practice and have been continuing to develop and incorporate the two as much as each client has wanted. 

 

My work experience has helped me to understand different challenges people face, different reactions people have, and different approaches to help people have the positive change and life that they desire.  That is me, Dina Richardson LCSW.   I'd love to hear about you and see how we can work together to get you to your goals.