01 · Who Dorothy works with

Dorothy works with stress, Anxiety, addictions and relationship issues

Dorothy lists 16 specialisms and 6 further focus areas. Specialisms are the subjects Dorothy chose to list first, which is the closest a listing gets to “this is my actual practice”.

02 · In Dorothy's own words

What Dorothy says about the work

Reproduced in full and unedited - not summarised, not tightened, not rewritten in a house voice.

I am a Licensed Professional Counselor through the Virginia Board of Counseling and a Licensed Mental Health Counselor through the Florida Department of Health. I have over 25 years experience working with individuals affected by a range of concerns including depression, anxiety, trauma, substance abuse. and sexually compulsive behaviors. I am a Certified Substance Abuse Counselor through the Virginia Board of Counseling and a Certified Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor through the Virginia Certification Board. I am also a Certified Sex Offender Treatment Provider through the Virginia Board of Psychology and have provided treatment for individuals with sexually compulsive behaviors for over 20 years.

I strive to remain current in professional practices and treatment modalities by attending professional training and workshops and have achieved certifications as a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional and a Certified Clinical Anxiety Professional.

I tailor treatment modalities to the client's needs and preferences including cognitive behavioral therapy, schema therapy, humanistic, and solution-focused brief therapy. I believe that treatment should be done in non-judgmental and safe environment.

Treatment can be both challenging and rewarding and I commend you for taking that first step and entrusting me to take that journey with you.

Specialties: Mood disorders Anxiety Substance use disorders Trauma Anger management Sexually compulsive disorders

Dorothy Charest, on the BetterHelp listing · read 9 Oct 2026

03 · How Dorothy works

The 6 approaches Dorothy lists, in plain English

These are the clinical methods Dorothy lists. The descriptions are Maker Therapy's, not Dorothy's - a general explanation of what each method is, so the list means something before you have spoken to anybody. They are not a claim about how Dorothy runs a session.

Client-Centred TherapyPerson-centred · Rogerian

The therapist does not steer toward a technique or a diagnosis. They offer sustained, non-judgemental attention and reflect back what they hear, on the premise that people find their own direction when they are genuinely listened to. Often what people mean by “someone who just gets it”.

Cognitive Behavioural TherapyCBT

Structured, present-focused work on the loop between what you think, how you feel and what you then do. Usually means noticing a thought pattern in the room, testing it against evidence, and practising something different between sessions. Among the most heavily researched talking therapies for depression and anxiety.

Motivational InterviewingMI

A way of talking about change with somebody who is genuinely in two minds about it. The therapist does not argue for the change; they help you say your own reasons out loud, which is the part that predicts whether it happens. Common around substance use and health behaviour.

Solution-Focused Brief TherapySFBT

Starts from where you want to end up rather than from how you got here. Sessions look for the times the problem is already smaller and work out what is different about those, so the number of sessions tends to be short and the work concrete.

Trauma-Focused TherapyTF-CBT · trauma-informed

CBT adapted for people whose difficulty is rooted in a frightening or overwhelming event. Pacing is the point: safety and stabilisation come first, the memory itself is approached gradually and only when you are ready, and the aim is that recalling it stops hijacking the present.

Internal Family SystemsIFS

Treats the mind as made up of parts - the critic, the one who withdraws, the one that keeps everything running - each of which is trying to protect you. The work is getting to know them rather than overruling them.

04 · What happens next

From this page to a first session

Dorothy practises through BetterHelp, so the route in is BetterHelp's. This is that sequence, written by Maker Therapy from the platform's published process - not a description of Dorothy's own practice, and not a promise about how quickly anything happens.

1. A questionnaire, not a booking form

   BetterHelp opens with a set of questions about what you are dealing with, what you want from therapy, and any preferences on the therapist. You are not booking Dorothy at this point.

2. Naming Dorothy specifically

   BetterHelp matches algorithmically by default, so asking for Dorothy is a step you have to take. There is a field for requesting a specific therapist during sign-up, and you can switch afterwards from your account. Starting from a link on this page does not by itself assign you to Dorothy.

3. If the caseload is full

   You will be offered somebody else rather than put on a waitlist. Worth knowing, because it is easy to assume a match is the person you asked for.

4. The first conversation

   A first session is typically history and orientation: what brought you, what has been tried, what you want to be different. It is also where the questions in the next section belong.

5. If the fit is wrong

   Changing therapist on BetterHelp does not need a reason. A first session that does not click is common and is not a verdict on therapy. That option existing is the main practical difference between a platform and a private practice.

05 · Before you commit

4 questions worth asking Dorothy

Built from what Dorothy actually lists, so they are answerable and specific rather than generic. Maker Therapy's, not Dorothy's - Dorothy has not seen them and is under no obligation to answer any of them.

• “You list both Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Client-Centred Therapy. Which do you lean on with someone like me?”

  Those two point in different directions - one structured and led by the therapist, the other led by you. The answer tells you what the sessions will actually feel like.

• “How do you decide when someone is ready to work on a traumatic memory itself?”

  Pacing is the biggest safety question in trauma work. A clear, unhurried answer here matters more than any credential.

• “With 18 years in, what has changed most in how you work?”

  Long experience is only an advantage if it has been examined. This tends to surface whether it has.

• “How do you handle the gap between sessions if something comes up?”

  On BetterHelp this varies a great deal by therapist. Better to know the rhythm now than to discover it on a bad week.

06 · Practical details

Credentials and licensing

Credential

LPC

Licensed in

Florida

Licence

VA LPC 0701004762, FL LMHC MH17918

Licence number

0701004762

Licence expires

30 Jun 2027

NPI

1003179441

Years in practice

18

Gender

Female

Languages

English

International clients

Not accepted

Listed since

15 May 2026

07 · Provenance

Where every line on this page came from

Dorothy's name, credential, state, subjects, approaches and biography are read from BetterHelp's therapist roster, which Maker Therapy re-reads once a day; this page reflects the reading taken on 9 Oct 2026. The licence number and NPI are cross-checked against public registers.

The plain-English method descriptions, the first-session walkthrough and the questions are written by Maker Therapy and labelled as such wherever they appear.

Maker Therapy is not BetterHelp, does not take bookings, and has not met Dorothy. There are no reviews or ratings on this page because we have no way to verify one. If you start therapy through a link here, we may be paid a commission - it does not change your price and it does not affect who appears here or in what order.

Something on this page wrong or out of date? Report it and it will be checked against the source.