Dawn M. vinson

Child & Teen Therapist

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Meet Dawn M. Vinson, M.Ed., LPC

Licensed Professional Counselor | Certified School Counselor | Child, Play & Teen Therapist

 

Hello, I'm Dawn — and I help children and teens find confidence, emotional regulation, and practical strategies for everyday life. Whether your 6-year-old is struggling with big emotions or your 16-year-old is navigating ADHD, anxiety, or school stress, I provide developmentally tailored therapy that empowers kids to succeed both emotionally and academically. As a Licensed Professional Counselor and Certified School Counselor, I bring not only clinical experience but over a decade of classroom teaching and parenting five children of my own. I understand how overwhelming it can feel when your child is struggling—and I’m here to walk alongside your family every step of the way.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For Younger Children (Ages 5–11):

Play Therapy for Emotional Expression, Self-Regulation & Confidence

You may have noticed your child is more irritable, anxious, easily distracted, or overwhelmed. Maybe they’re having daily outbursts, constant restlessness, or difficulty calming down. If you feel exhausted and out of ideas, I understand—and I can help.

Children often don’t have the words to express what they’re feeling. That’s why I use play therapy, which allows children to process emotions, build skills, and feel truly heard in a developmentally appropriate way.

In sessions, I create a safe, warm space where your child can:

• Express difficult emotions through play and art

• Build emotional regulation and coping tools

• Strengthen self-esteem and resilience

• Learn how to express needs more clearly

• Begin healing from anxiety, trauma, or frustration

I use child-centered play therapy, solution-focused play therapy, sandtray, genograms, art-based activities, and esteem-building exercises—all backed by research and tailored to your child’s age and personality. You’ll be involved every step of the way, from treatment planning to regular updates on your child’s progress.

 

For Preteens & Teens (Ages 12–17):

Support for ADHD, Anxiety, School Struggles & Emotional Overload

Teens face unique challenges today. Whether your teen is dealing with ADHD, anxiety, depression, or academic pressure, I offer a space where they can feel seen, understood, and supported—without judgment.

For older kids, I provide talk-based therapies including:

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to challenge unhelpful thought patterns

• Solution-Focused Therapy to help identify goals and strengths

• Narrative Therapy to give teens ownership over their story

• Executive Function & ADHD Support to improve time management and focus

 

A Bit About My Background

I earned my Bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a focus on child development from the University of North Texas, and my Master’s in Counseling & Development from Lamar University. I am a Licensed Professional Counselor and Certified School Counselor in the state of Texas. I am currently completing additional credentials to become a Registered Play Therapist and Child-Parent Relationship Therapist through the Center for Play Therapy at UNT.

Before becoming a therapist, I spent over 10 years as an elementary teacher—an experience that shaped my passion for helping children feel safe, understood, and capable of success in and out of the classroom. I’ve also served in my community as a Sunday School teacher and a volunteer with Destination Imagination, and I bring my personal experience as a mom of five into everything I do as a clinician.

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Expert in Collaboration with Schools

Whether your child is in elementary school or high school, I understand how critical school support is to their overall success. In addition to therapy, I partner with caregivers and school staff to advocate for each child’s academic and emotional needs.

With my experience as both a school counselor and classroom teacher, I help families:

• Navigate 504 plans, IEPs, and academic accommodations

• Communicate clearly and confidently with teachers and administrators

• Understand evaluations, behavior reports, and educational plans

• Ensure consistency between home, therapy, and school environments

This collaborative approach helps children feel supported in every area of their life—not just in the therapy room. When school teams and families work together, kids are more likely to thrive.​​

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Co-Parenting Support Through and After Divorce

Family transitions like separation or divorce can deeply affect a child’s emotional well-being. I specialize in helping children adjust to new family dynamics, while supporting both parents in building consistent, cooperative co-parenting relationships—even when communication is difficult or emotions are running high.

Children thrive when their caregivers can create predictable routines, reduce conflict, and prioritize the child’s emotional needs. My role is to provide a neutral, child-focused space where:

• Children can process confusing emotions like anger, fear, sadness, or guilt

• Parents receive support in navigating shared custody, blended families, and changing roles

• Co-parents learn tools to improve communication and reduce conflict

• Both households can work toward consistency in expectations, discipline, and emotional support

 

I understand the unique challenges that can arise during separation—from transitions between homes to differences in parenting styles—and I help families work through these with compassion and clarity. Whether you’re in the midst of a separation or managing an ongoing co-parenting relationship, I’m here to support your child’s emotional health while helping caregivers move toward a more stable and cooperative dynamic.

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Let’s Get Started

I know how hard it is to watch your child struggle. Whether you're feeling overwhelmed, discouraged, or just not sure where to turn next—there is help and there is hope.

I’d be honored to support your child and your family. Together, we’ll create a treatment plan grounded in your child’s strengths, goals, and developmental needs—and I’ll be with you each step of the way.

Let’s help your child reconnect with joy, confidence, and emotional balance. I look forward to meeting you.

 

***Important Note on Scope of Services***

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While I provide therapeutic support for children and guidance for parents, I do NOT provide the following services:

• Custody evaluations

• Legal recommendations

• Court-ordered services

• Any documentation intended for use in legal proceedings

Under my professional code of ethics—and to protect the therapeutic relationship and all involved parties from potential harm or bias—I do not participate in custody disputes or provide expert testimony in family court matters.

If your family requires court-involved services (such as court-ordered parenting coordination, parenting facilitation, or custody evaluation), I am happy to provide referrals to professionals who are specifically trained and approved to offer those services under the Texas Family Code.

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Please ensure you fully understand this scope of care before beginning services. Therapy at this practice is focused solely on the emotional and developmental well-being of your child—not legal outcomes.

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⚠️ Regarding Requests for Clinical Records and Legal Use

Therapy at this practice is focused ENTIRELY on supporting your child’s emotional and developmental needs. While we understand that divorce and custody matters can be complex, it’s important to know that our clinical services are not intended for use in court proceedings or custody disputes.

Parents are sometimes asked by their attorneys to obtain copies of their child’s therapy records. However, OUR therapy records are created strictly for clinical purposes—to track your child’s goals, therapeutic progress, and which strategies or play-based interventions are being used and planned.

They do not contain:

• Legal opinions or custody recommendations

• Assessments of parenting capacity or alignment with one parent over the other

• Statements that one home environment is more appropriate than another

Because of this, our clinical records:

• Could be easily misinterpreted if taken out of therapeutic context

• Are unlikely to provide any helpful or admissible information in court

• Will result in increased attorney fees for preparation and review—without legal benefit

• Risk damaging the trust between your child and their therapist if shared outside the safe space of therapy

Involving a therapist who is not trained or approved for court involvement in legal matters can unintentionally harm your child and slow therapeutic progress. This practice does not provide custody evaluations, legal recommendations, or court-ordered services.

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If your legal team requires input related to custody decisions, parenting capacity, or court compliance, we encourage you to ask them to work with a professional who is:

• Court-approved under the Texas Family Code, and

• Specifically trained to provide legal services such as:

  • Parenting Coordination

  • Parenting Facilitation

  • Custody Evaluations

We are happy to provide referrals to trusted professionals in those areas if your attorney does not already have ones they work with already.

Member of the Texas Counseling Association, 

The Association for Play Therapy, and The American School Counselor Association

Texas State License LPC #91680