Dawne Velianoff, LMSW

Dawne Velianoff is a licensed master social worker (LMSW) with 15 years of experience helping people manage life stressors. She practices from Michigan and focuses on clear, goal-oriented care that fits each person’s situation. Dawne describes her work as collaborative and practical, aiming to break problems into manageable steps.

She begins by listening to what matters most and then crafts a person-centered plan. Sessions often include tools for better day-to-day coping, strategies to address unhelpful thinking, and exercises to build emotional awareness. Dawne uses techniques from cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness, and motivational interviewing to guide those practical steps.

Her approach emphasizes understanding how different parts of life interact - for example work, relationships, and health. Dawne pays attention to risk factors that can affect emotional and social functioning and discusses ways to reduce those risks. She also supports work on communication, boundaries, and parenting strain when relevant.

People come to Dawne for a wide range of concerns including stress, anxiety, depression, relationship problems, addictions, grief, trauma, self-esteem, and ADHD. She also addresses issues like body image, caregiver stress, blended family concerns, and intimacy-related matters. Sessions aim to give clear skills and realistic plans clients can try between meetings.

Dawne offers several ways to connect, including video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. To start, clients complete a short matching questionnaire and then schedule sessions based on therapist availability.

How online sessions use CBT and mindfulness

CBT, or cognitive behavioral therapy, focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and changing the behaviors that follow. It often involves practical exercises, thought records, and small experiments to test new ways of thinking and acting, which can help with anxiety, depression, and mood regulation.

Mindfulness Therapy teaches simple attention and awareness practices to reduce reactivity and increase calm. These techniques help people notice patterns of stress or strong emotion and choose different responses in daily life. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy blends mindfulness with values-based action to help people move toward meaningful goals even when feelings are difficult.

Finding the right mix of approaches is a joint process. Dawne works collaboratively with clients to pick methods that match their goals, needs, and preferences. She adapts plans over time so the work stays useful and focused on practical change.

Online therapy offers flexibility and easier access to consistent care. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation and visual cues, phone sessions work well when bandwidth is limited, and live chat or text messaging can support brief check-ins or ongoing coaching between appointments. These options make it simpler to fit sessions into a busy life and to continue building skills from wherever the client is located.