About Richard
Richard "Rick" Dawson uses straightforward, skills-based approaches to help people manage everyday struggles. He is a licensed clinical social worker and brings 33 years of experience to his practice in Oregon. Rick emphasizes practical problem-solving and calm, steady support during hard moments.
Rick spent the early part of his career working in hospital settings, doing both inpatient and outpatient care. He led individual sessions, group therapy, and worked with families while completing his counseling degree.
Background and approach
Over the years he moved into independent practice and community settings, including hospice and a family medical clinic in suburban Portland. In sessions he focuses on clear tools you can use between appointments. That includes ways to manage worry, reduce stress, handle panic, and build better sleep and daily routines.
He also helps people coping with addiction, grief, mood shifts, and the effects of trauma and abuse. Rick works with issues around relationships, intimacy, parenting challenges, and career stress. He also supports people wrestling with guilt, shame, isolation, and low self-esteem.
ADHD is listed among his areas of focus, and he will work with clients who want practical strategies for attention and organization challenges. His style is nonjudgmental and straightforward. He aims to build a working partnership where client goals guide the work.
Rick encourages small, manageable steps so progress feels steady rather than overwhelming.
Approach-driven online care using practical skills
Rick often draws on cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy in online work. CBT focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and changing patterns that feed anxiety, depression, or sleep problems, and it includes clear homework and tools to use between sessions. DBT adds skills for managing strong emotions and improving interpersonal effectiveness, which can help with anger, relationship strain, and intense mood swings.He sees finding the right approach as a team effort. The therapist will talk with the client about goals, life demands, and what feels doable, then try methods that match those needs. That collaborative process allows adjustments over time so the work stays relevant and practical.
Online sessions use video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to fit different rhythms of life. Video lets people work face-to-face when schedules allow. Phone calls can be a simpler check-in or better when bandwidth is limited. Live chat and text messaging are useful for shorter check-ins, quick problem-solving, or people who prefer nonverbal contact. These options make it easier to maintain steady work on skills while juggling family, school, or work commitments.
Questions people ask
What concerns does he address?
What is his therapeutic approach and style?
How much experience does he bring?
What are his credentials and where is he based?
Which languages are available for sessions?
Can people outside the U.S. work with him?
What session formats does he offer?
How do payments and getting started work?
What this therapist works with
Most often
- Stress, Anxiety
- Addictions
- Relationship issues
Also listed
- ADHD
- Anger management
- Bipolar disorder
- Career difficulties
- Compassion fatigue
- Coping with life changes
- Depression
- Family conflicts
- Grief
- Guilt and shame
- Intimacy-related issues
- Isolation / loneliness
- Mood disorders
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Parenting issues
- Self esteem
- Sleeping disorders
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Trauma and abuse
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 33 years
- Licensed
- Oregon
- Languages
- English
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