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Individual Therapist in Missoula, MT

Dawnette White, LCSW

she/her

Individual Therapy | Trauma-Informed Care | Life Transitions

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Feel stuck, overwhelmed, or ready for something to change?

 

Sometimes you know you want something different, but figuring out where to start feels overwhelming. Past experiences, self-doubt, and familiar patterns can make it difficult to move forward, even when you're ready for change.

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Dawnette White, LCSW, provides individualized therapy for adults navigating life transitions, low self-worth, anxiety, depression, trauma-related concerns, and other challenging life experiences. Her approach is collaborative, compassionate, and empowering, helping clients better understand longstanding patterns, reconnect with their strengths, and identify meaningful next steps.

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Get Matched With Dawnette

Education, Credentials & Professional Information

Dawnette White, LCSW

  • Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), Montana

  • Master of Social Work, Walla Walla University

  • Bachelor of Social Work, University of Montana, with minors in Psychology and Gerontology

  • Training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

  • Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) training/certification

  • Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) training

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Dawnette's professional experience includes community mental health, trauma-informed services, individual therapy, and therapeutic group facilitation. Her background includes supporting people navigating trauma, anxiety, depression, substance-related concerns, and other complex life circumstances.

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Professional Profiles

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Dawnette's Specialties

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Primary Specialties​

  • Anxiety, worry, or panic

  • Depression or low mood

  • Trauma or PTSD

  • Relationship patterns and personal boundaries

  • Stress, burnout, or overwhelm

  • Life Transitions

  • Self-esteem or identity

  • School, college, or career concerns

  • Divorce, breakup, or relationship loss

  • Grief or loss

  • Men's Mental Health

  • Women's Mental Health

  • College Students Mental Health

  • CBT Therapy

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Additional Focus Areas

  • Addiction or substance use

  • Recovery or relapse prevention

  • Parenting/Step Parenting

  • Blended family challenges

  • Finances

Dawnette's Therapeutic Approach

Dawnette draws from evidence-based, trauma-informed approaches and adapts therapy to each client's needs and goals.

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Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

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CBT can help you explore the connections between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, recognize unhelpful patterns, and practice different ways of responding to challenges.

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Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills

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Dawnette's DBT training informs skills-based work around emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and navigating difficult moments.

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Trauma-informed therapy

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A trauma-informed approach considers how past experiences may shape current beliefs, emotions, and coping patterns. Therapy can help you explore these connections while building skills and identifying new possibilities.

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Collaborative, individualized care

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Dawnette works with you to identify what you want to change and what may be getting in the way. Sessions can include reflection, practical strategies, and concrete steps toward your goals.

Who Dawnette Works With

Dawnette focuses on individual therapy for people navigating concerns such as:

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  • Life transitions: Moving through change when the next step feels unclear or intimidating.

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  • Self-esteem and low self-worth: Understanding how past experiences influence self-perception and developing a more compassionate relationship with yourself.

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  • Anxiety and overwhelm: Working through worry, stress, and the feeling of being unable to move forward.

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  • Trauma-related concerns: Exploring how difficult experiences may continue to affect emotions, coping patterns, and beliefs about yourself.

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  • Depression and low mood: Understanding emotional struggles and identifying supportive ways to move forward.

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  • Addiction and recovery: Exploring the emotional and behavioral patterns associated with substance use and supporting recovery goals.

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  • Grief, loss, and relationship changes: Processing difficult emotions and adjusting to changes in your life.

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  • School, college, and career concerns: Navigating uncertainty, transitions, and decisions about your future.

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  • Parenting and major life changes: Managing the stress and emotional demands that can accompany changes in responsibilities and family circumstances.

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  • Personal growth: Clarifying your values, strengthening confidence, and taking steps toward meaningful goals.

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Dawnette is particularly interested in working with individuals who are ready for change but may need help identifying a manageable starting point.

About Dawnette

Dawnette believes therapy should be a space where you feel heard, respected, and supported in finding your own way forward. She is especially interested in working with people who feel stuck during a life transition, feel overwhelmed by the first steps toward change, or notice that past experiences continue to influence how they see themselves.

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Her approach is active and collaborative. Together, you can explore patterns that may have developed through difficult experiences, understand how those patterns affect your present life, and identify practical steps toward change. Dawnette values honest reflection and individualized care, recognizing that each person's experiences, strengths, and goals are different.

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For people who have felt unseen or misunderstood in previous therapeutic settings, Dawnette aims to create a supportive environment where their experiences can be taken seriously and their voices remain central to the process.

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Therapy isn't about being told who to become. It's about developing greater self-understanding, strengthening your sense of agency, and making choices that align with what matters to you.

Frequently Asked Questions

What concerns can I discuss with Dawnette?
 
Dawnette focuses on individual therapy for people experiencing life transitions, low self-worth, anxiety, stress, trauma-related concerns, depression, grief, substance-related concerns, and school, college, or career transitions. An initial conversation can help determine whether her approach fits your needs.
 
What if I feel stuck but don't know where to start?
 
You don't need to have everything figured out before starting therapy. Dawnette can work collaboratively with you to clarify what feels difficult, identify what matters most, and break larger goals into more manageable steps.
 
Does Dawnette work with trauma?
 
Dawnette has experience supporting people affected by trauma and uses trauma-informed approaches. Treatment is individualized according to your concerns, goals, and clinical needs.
 
Does Dawnette work with people navigating addiction or recovery?
 
Dawnette has experience in community mental health and substance-related settings. You can discuss your goals and current needs during the matching process to help determine whether her services are an appropriate fit.

Take the Next Step

You don't have to know exactly how to change things before asking for support. If you're ready to understand yourself more deeply, work through patterns that no longer serve you, and take steps toward a more fulfilling life, therapy can help you begin.
 
Get Matched With Dawnette
Dawnette White, LCSW, provides therapy through Peaks and Valleys Therapy in Missoula, Montana.

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