Carol Dodgen
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Counseling Approach
Carol works primarily with adults and young adults who are navigating anxiety, trauma, ADHD, relationship difficulties, life transitions, chronic stress, and the lasting effects of difficult childhood or family experiences. She has a special interest in helping clients heal from trauma, overcome people-pleasing, build healthy boundaries, strengthen self-esteem, and develop greater confidence in themselves and their decisions.
Carol is trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and Internal Family Systems (IFS) and integrates these approaches with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Solution-Focused Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills, mindfulness, and Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) for OCD. Her approach is collaborative, compassionate, and individualized. She believes that while coping skills are important, lasting change comes from understanding and healing the experiences that shaped how we see ourselves and relate to others.
Carol also enjoys working with adolescents ages 10 and older. With more than 30 years of experience in public education, she has extensive knowledge of ADHD, executive functioning challenges, autism, AuDHD, anxiety, OCD, and school-related stress. She helps students navigate academic demands, social challenges, and the 504 and IEP process while teaching practical executive functioning strategies inspired by Smart but Scattered to improve organization, planning, and follow-through.
In addition to anxiety, depression, OCD, and ADHD, Carol works with clients experiencing betrayal, grief, career transitions, chronic pain, family conflict, and challenges involving adult children.
Background and Experience
Carol joined Community Counseling Associates in 2025 after a long and rewarding career in education. She spent nearly three decades teaching middle school and high school students and has also worked as a corporate trainer and college instructor. Her years in education provided a deep understanding of how emotional, behavioral, and learning challenges affect individuals across the lifespan.
Working with clients from adolescents through older adulthood has reinforced Carol's belief that meaningful change is possible at any stage of life. Whether someone is healing from trauma, navigating a difficult relationship, adjusting to a major life transition, or seeking greater peace and confidence, Carol provides a supportive environment where clients can better understand themselves and move toward lasting growth.
Personal Statement
I believe every person has a story worth understanding. Many of the ways we cope today once helped us survive difficult experiences, but those same patterns can begin to limit our relationships, confidence, and sense of peace. My goal is to help clients understand those patterns with compassion rather than judgment, while developing healthier ways of relating to themselves and others.
I strive to create a safe, collaborative space where clients feel heard, respected, and supported. Some sessions focus on learning practical coping skills, while others involve deeper work to heal past experiences that continue to influence the present. My hope is that every client leaves therapy with greater self-understanding, increased confidence, and the belief that meaningful change is possible.
Education and Training
Carol holds a Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Amberton University in Garland, Texas, and a Bachelor of Science in English Education from Florida State University.
She has advanced training in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and Internal Family Systems (IFS) and continues to pursue ongoing education in trauma, ADHD, anxiety disorders, and evidence-based counseling approaches.
Carol works primarily with adults and young adults who are navigating anxiety, trauma, ADHD, relationship difficulties, life transitions, chronic stress, and the lasting effects of difficult childhood or family experiences. She has a special interest in helping clients heal from trauma, overcome people-pleasing, build healthy boundaries, strengthen self-esteem, and develop greater confidence in themselves and their decisions.
Carol is trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and Internal Family Systems (IFS) and integrates these approaches with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Solution-Focused Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills, mindfulness, and Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) for OCD. Her approach is collaborative, compassionate, and individualized. She believes that while coping skills are important, lasting change comes from understanding and healing the experiences that shaped how we see ourselves and relate to others.
Carol also enjoys working with adolescents ages 10 and older. With more than 30 years of experience in public education, she has extensive knowledge of ADHD, executive functioning challenges, autism, AuDHD, anxiety, OCD, and school-related stress. She helps students navigate academic demands, social challenges, and the 504 and IEP process while teaching practical executive functioning strategies inspired by Smart but Scattered to improve organization, planning, and follow-through.
In addition to anxiety, depression, OCD, and ADHD, Carol works with clients experiencing betrayal, grief, career transitions, chronic pain, family conflict, and challenges involving adult children.
Background and Experience
Carol joined Community Counseling Associates in 2025 after a long and rewarding career in education. She spent nearly three decades teaching middle school and high school students and has also worked as a corporate trainer and college instructor. Her years in education provided a deep understanding of how emotional, behavioral, and learning challenges affect individuals across the lifespan.
Working with clients from adolescents through older adulthood has reinforced Carol's belief that meaningful change is possible at any stage of life. Whether someone is healing from trauma, navigating a difficult relationship, adjusting to a major life transition, or seeking greater peace and confidence, Carol provides a supportive environment where clients can better understand themselves and move toward lasting growth.
Personal Statement
I believe every person has a story worth understanding. Many of the ways we cope today once helped us survive difficult experiences, but those same patterns can begin to limit our relationships, confidence, and sense of peace. My goal is to help clients understand those patterns with compassion rather than judgment, while developing healthier ways of relating to themselves and others.
I strive to create a safe, collaborative space where clients feel heard, respected, and supported. Some sessions focus on learning practical coping skills, while others involve deeper work to heal past experiences that continue to influence the present. My hope is that every client leaves therapy with greater self-understanding, increased confidence, and the belief that meaningful change is possible.
Education and Training
Carol holds a Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Amberton University in Garland, Texas, and a Bachelor of Science in English Education from Florida State University.
She has advanced training in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and Internal Family Systems (IFS) and continues to pursue ongoing education in trauma, ADHD, anxiety disorders, and evidence-based counseling approaches.
