Dawn O'Regan, LISW

Dawn O'Regan is a Licensed Independent Social Worker with 25 years of experience. She works with people who are dealing with depression, anxiety, relationship struggles, and the stress of life changes. Dawn focuses on helping clients increase self-worth, learn clearer communication, and build emotional regulation skills.

Her practice is client-centered, meaning she partners with each person to set goals that matter to them. She brings a strengths-based, solution-focused approach and draws on several therapy styles to support progress. Sessions often involve looking at how thoughts, feelings, and actions connect, and learning practical skills to handle intense emotions.

Dawn has worked in community mental health, ran a private individual practice, and was part of a private group practice. She also practiced as a bachelor-level social worker for four years before graduate school and later achieved an independent social work license. These roles have given her experience across different settings and challenges.

Her interests include mindfulness practices, walking, hiking, yoga, and meditation, which influence how she introduces calming tools in sessions. She lives in Iowa and travels frequently with her life partner. Dawn’s wide experience includes supporting people coping with chronic illness, caregiver stress, grief, addiction concerns, and body-image and eating-related issues.

In sessions she aims to help clients name their strengths, build useful coping strategies, and create clearer ways of relating to others. The focus is practical work that fits each person’s life and goals.

How therapeutic approaches guide online work

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT, helps people clarify what matters most and take small steps toward those values even when feelings are difficult. It is useful for anxiety, depression, and coping with long-term health challenges. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, CBT, looks at the connections between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors and offers practical strategies to change patterns that get in the way of daily functioning. It often helps with anxiety, mood, and stress-related concerns.

Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will talk with the client about goals and preferences and then suggest methods that match those needs. Sessions can mix approaches over time as the work evolves to fit what the client finds most helpful.

Confirm the current online session options before booking, as formats are not specified here. Online therapy can make it easier to fit regular sessions into a busy life, reduce travel time, and allow for shorter check-ins when needed. It can also let clients practice skills where they live and bring real-life situations into the conversation. Licensed professionals typically work with clients to set a schedule and a format that fit daily routines and goals.