Trauma and LGBTQIA+ Counselor Opens Practice at 8009 New LaGrange Road, Suite #1 in Louisville, KY, Offering EMDR and PEAT Approaches

After 3 years as part of a group practice, Dawn Pendleton, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and EMDR certified therapist, has opened up her solo private practice to the public. With specialties working with members of the LGBTQIA+ community, sports and performance enhancement, and those affected by trauma, Pendleton appreciates approaches and techniques across the board, even ones outside of the traditional box.

Running her practice with conviction in the belief of the importance of collaborative work, Pendleton uses a systemic view of each client and the issues they come to work on to determine what combination of approaches or techniques will best address their particular needs. By taking into account the different systems in which each person lives and works, there develops a better sense of understanding between therapist and client when working together in the private counseling sphere, and that's why Pendleton strives to find a unique angle for each client to work from.

Exploring Every Approach
"As a therapist, I value the opportunity I get to see people overcome the blocks in their path that they come to me with and grow into someone who achieves their potential," Pendleton said, when asked about her connection with her career and why she offers creative scheduling options for a spectrum of therapeutic approaches. "I feel that it's a sacred honor that I've been given - the ability to watch my clients thrive. I'm willing and thrilled to provide that with whatever method works for them." Two approaches that Pendleton specializes in are EMDR, or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, which she is certified in, and PEAT - Prime Energy Activation and Transcendence.

EMDR is a psychotherapy approach that goes hand-in-hand with the trauma specialty Pendleton holds. She says that this practice is particularly helpful for those who have had a very recent trauma and/or have previously been unable to heal from past trauma, and that she's seen a decrease in the intensity of painful, disturbing emotions and negative self-beliefs connected to the trauma through this method. Since a key factor for EMDR is trust and safety in the therapeutic relationship, Pendleton states that she prides herself on her ability to join with clients in order to foster a safe, trusting relationship to overcome any hurdles in healing.

"With the right tools to support it, the brain's natural healing process is a very powerful thing," Pendleton says. "EMDR seeks to assist the client in processing traumatic memories with bilateral stimulation – usually in the form of eye movements – by targeting a particular aspect of the traumatic experience(s) that are holding the individual back from healing versus having to tackle the entire event or event as a whole."

PEAT, on the other hand, is a 'spiritual technology' created by Zivorad Slavinski that involves acupuncture points and the polarized energy that causes some people to become 'stuck.' Pendleton applies this technique when needed, but says that it comes in handy particularly when dealing with high-achieving sports and performance clients who feel that they are not reaching their potential because of creative or mental roadblocks.
"It's trying to take the dualistic states – like capable and incapable, love and hate, powerful and powerless, right and wrong – and neutralize them by applying pressure on key acupuncture points," Pendleton explains.

Other Specialties
Lastly, as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, Pendleton specializes in counseling for issues in this area. Whether that be a questioning individual, a fellow 'out' member, or families of the LGBTQIA+ community who desire counseling to better support, love, and understand their family member, Pendleton says that she welcomes the challenges that this area presents, as the issues that arise are so different and across the spectrum.

Pendleton Counseling Collaborative does not specialize in couples' therapy, personality disorders, or individual counseling for persons under the age of 16. Therefore, they offer references and recommendations to external counseling and therapy resources, but do not take on clients seeking services for these things.

Meet Dawn Pendleton
Dawn Pendleton is Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and EMDR-certified therapist with over 20 years working in the mental health field. In the public sector, Pendleton has experience counseling in environment such as rape crisis centers, the foster care system, medical hospital outpatient centers, and the public school system. Since 2014, she has worked in the private sector as well, offering her specialties in both private and group practice settings, and is licensed to provide in-person and telehealth services in both Kentucky and Indiana.

An out member of the LGBTQ+ community and a 30+ year resident of Louisville, Dawn enjoys spending her time off road and trail running, participating in triathlons, and woodworking.

Contact Pendleton Counseling Collaborative
Address: 8009 New LaGrange Road, Suite 1, Louisville, KY 40222
Phone: (502) 377-1690
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