About Dorothy
Dorothy Charest is a licensed counselor with 18 years of experience. She practices as an LMHC - Licensed Mental Health Counselor and LPC - Licensed Professional Counselor in Florida. She focuses on helping people who are feeling overwhelmed by stress, anxiety, depression, addiction, trauma, and relationship or intimacy concerns.
Her work tends to be direct and practical. She uses approaches like Client-Centered Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people notice unhelpful thoughts and try different behaviors.
Background and approach
Motivational Interviewing and Solution-Focused Therapy are used when people want clear steps and short-term goals. She often helps people coping with compulsive behaviors, process addictions, and sexual assault or abuse issues. Other areas she addresses include grief, anger, self-esteem, career concerns, bipolar mood challenges, and compassion fatigue.
Her practice also pays attention to LGBTQ concerns and family or parenting stresses in individual conversations. Sessions are meant to be nonjudgmental and focused on what the person wants to change. Dorothy works with each person to pick strategies that fit their preferences and daily life.
She honors the fact that therapy can be hard and that progress usually comes in small steps. People who choose her can expect a mix of listening, practical skills, and goal-setting. She tailors the pace and approach to fit individual needs and revisits plans as things change.
How evidence-based approaches translate to online care
Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening, acceptance, and building a trusting working relationship so the person feels heard and able to explore concerns. This approach helps when someone needs space to process trauma, grief, or emotional overwhelm. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at how thoughts, feelings, and actions link together and teaches practical techniques to change unhelpful patterns; it is often used for anxiety, depression, and compulsive behaviors. Motivational Interviewing is a collaborative way to boost a person’s own motivation to change, which can be helpful for addictions and behavior shifts.Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the work. The therapist will discuss goals and preferences, try methods that fit the person’s lifestyle, and adjust the plan as progress is made. This collaborative process helps match skills and strategy to real-life needs.
Online therapy offers flexible formats including video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video is useful for face-to-face conversations and skills practice. Phone sessions can be a simpler option when bandwidth or movement is a concern. Live chat and text messages work well for quick check-ins, brief coaching, or when someone prefers not to be on camera. These options help fit therapy into a busy schedule and keep continuity when in-person visits aren’t possible.
Questions people ask
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What this counselor works with
Most often
- Stress, Anxiety
- Addictions
- Relationship issues
Also listed
- Anger management
- Bipolar disorder
- Career difficulties
- Coaching
- Compassion fatigue
- Depression
- Family conflicts
- Grief
- Intimacy-related issues
- LGBT
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Parenting issues
- Personality disorders
- Phobias
- Process addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)
- Self esteem
- Sex addiction
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Trauma and abuse
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 18 years
- Licensed
- Virginia, Florida
- Languages
- English