Dr. Del Rio - Healthy Horizons

Dr. Dawn Del Rio is a fully licensed psychotherapist practicing in the state of Michigan. After receiving undergraduate and graduate degrees in psychology and clinical social work from MSU, she attended the ULM and received her Ph.D. in Marriage and Family Therapy. Post her doctorate, she obtained her Sex Therapy and Sexual Health Educator and Sports Performance certificates from the University of Michigan.

Dr. Del Rio's educational path has provided a unique recipe of both micro and macro perspectives and has informed her clinical interpretations. Her psychology degree provided an emphasis on personality and human development, social work solidified her advocacy and social justice stance, marriage and family therapy strengthened her understanding of the systems and patterns within couple and family units, and her sex therapy and sexual health educator program expanded her understanding of orientation, intimacy, and human sexuality.

Dr. Del Rio has worked in the mental health field for 30 years, across a variety of settings, including inpatient care, community mental health, assessment and crisis intervention, outpatient clinics, and private practice. She specializes in the treatment of anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), personality disorders, trauma, and relationships. She is trained in Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Solution Focused Brief Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Sex Therapy and Sexual Health, and Crisis Incident Stress Management.

Dr. Del Rio has a broad range of clinical experiences working primarily with adults in the following areas: anxiety disorders, personality disorders, PTSD, OCD, anger and stress management, relationships, divorce, sexual health, depression, bipolar disorder, adjustment disorders, and sports performance. She also serves in the role of clinical supervisor to help meet the educational needs of graduate students from MSU and the University of Michigan.

Dr. Del Rio's approach to treatment involves a biopsychosocial and person-centered perspective. She works collaboratively with her clients, examining the person and their environment. Dawn will stay the course with her clients while simultaneously recognizing their need to be accountable, engaged, and present during the therapeutic process. She adopts a nonjudgmental stance while concurrently addressing life-interfering behaviors and the need for healthy change. She actively seeks to acknowledge her clients' strengths, explore solutions, identify constructive areas of control, and teach skills to improve her clients' functioning and quality of life.