Meet Danine Dean | Psychologist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Danine Dean and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Danine, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Starting my own business took time and consideration. I am a first generation entrepreneur, meaning I come from a family that relied heavily on government and systems for financial security. So starting my own business was scary but also very rewarding. I took all of my professional, educational and personal knowledge learned throughout my life and decided that I wanted to do something that could potentially provide freedom, creativity and opportunities for myself different than what I learned growing up .

What should our readers know about your business?
I currently have my own private practice. After years of training and learning about all the different aspects of psychotherapy, I have found that working with individuals and families have been most effective in helping people understand and cope with their personal challenges.
During my post doc training I had the opportunity to go into homes and do therapy with individuals, families, couples and sometimes generations of families that were involved in treatment. This experience gave me the most powerful sense of healing and helped me learn so much about the process of therapy.
I’ve learned that people have a story that isn’t always visible to others. I’ve learned that sometimes people circumstances are more than just emotional, they are physical, they are financial, they are historical, they are spiritual. I learned during that process to see people holistically and that treatment most times requires support from more than one system.
My brand and story is that most people that come to me for therapy are often shocked at how much they feel they can see themselves in me. That I am not someone that is far away or out of reach, but I’m someone that they can feel safe with and trust to help them through their pain and feelings.
Patients often tell me how much they have avoided and feared therapy for reasons that may not make sense to others. And I often pride myself on providing an experience that is not only life changing but life fulfilling.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I like to do things that involve the senses. I like to have visual experiences which could be at the beach in Malibu watching and listening to the waves, then we could go downtown and see the buildings and walk the streets vendors, I also would like to go and taste different foods that could include koreatown or Oliver’s street. I could also see going to different communities such as south Los Angeles or South Bay to Newport Beach or Orange County.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Through a family tragedy, I was introduced to therapy. This support came from a black woman who was helping my family navigate some of the most difficult moments of our life. Through this experience, I learned what therapy was, how it felt and what impact it potentially had on myself and my family. Looking back at that experience, I become incredibly grateful and thankful for that exposure. Several years later, I found myself creating a path to do something similar. Also knowing that only 3% of psychologists are black, I knew it was a career that needed more representation, and that racism and bias in healthcare breeds mistrust and deters people of color from seeking treatment. However, research indicates that having a black therapist mitigates concerns about being misunderstood or judged due to race.
I feel like my cultural background and identity are strengths that help people feel safe and secure.

Website: https://Drdaninedean.com

Instagram: dr.danine_dean

Linkedin: http://linkedin.com/in/danine-dean-3743a1a