Clinical Evaluation and Assessment
Clinical Evaluation and Assessment
Clinical Evaluation and Assessment
Dana Dean Doering, ARNP, is a nationally board certified child and adolescent psychiatric mental health specialist with over 45 years of clinical practice. Dana completed undergraduate studies at Johns Hopkins University and the University of Texas; and graduate studies at the University of Washington. She has received many awards and honors over her career, such as Distinguished Scholars Award: Johns Hopkins University, National Dean's List, International Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing, Dean's Club International Scholar: University of Washington, Graduation Research Award for Creativity and Excellence in Research: Johns Hopkins University, Outstanding Service Award: Reconnecting At-Risk Youth: University of Washington, Governor's Task Force: Washington State Suicide Prevention Plan For Youth Committee.
Dana has also recently received the ISPA Visionary Award. Other areas of accomplishment and recognition have included her work in international child advocacy and human rights. She is available for individual consultation and counseling.
Dana's background is developmental pediatrics, and she practices from both a developmental and normative perspective with children, adolescents, young adults and their families. She is actively involved in assessing, developing and enhancing the individual best interests and emotional needs of a child, adolescent and young adult. She also focuses on the needs and best interests of that child's immediate and extended family system. She is available for both individual and family counseling.
When appropriate, a predominant medical model of child psychiatric diagnostic evaluation and medication management can be utilized. These tools can be used to support and uplift a child's functional ability and adaptation. This is always combined with a holistic approach that includes health and wellness, nutrition and exercise. These and other essentials can assist a child to regain equilibrium, and to achieve their highest level of function. These clinical and wellness tools facilitate incremental steps back to mental health and well being, adaptive function and normal development and learning.
Childhood psychiatric diagnoses that we commonly work with include attachment disorders, anxiety, depression, mood and bipolar, pervasive developmental disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorders, eating disorders, Autism and Spectrum disorders, Social & Language Pragmatic Disorders and the vast array of personality and character disorders. Dana is available for diagnostic evaluation and expert complex case consultation with children, adolescents, young adults, and their families.
Scholarly development and utilization of theory and research is critical to good practice. Dana combines empirically based practice with many decades of clinical field experience and hard-earned clinical wisdom. She attends multiple specialty psychiatric and educational conferences per year, often lecturing and presenting in her areas of specialty and expertise.
Dana is well experienced in child and family development, family systems theory, and effective parenting practices. Every child is an integral part of a family system. We have complete respect for a parent's intuitive understanding of their child and their knowledge of their own family culture. We also have great respect for the personal dreams and timely goals for a child that a parent holds so dear. We incorporate your dreams & values into our thinking and planning for your child.
Families can at times face exceptional circumstances. Enhancement of effective parenting practices, custody and divorce determinations, guidance to educational decisions and even expert witness testimony can be required to accomplish a parent's goals and to protect a child's best interests. Dana has worked repeatedly with difficult and/or precedent setting types of cases, both directly by court appointment and at the request of individual families seeking determination of the best interest of their child/children. Dana often works on the leading edge of child development and family law. She works with families to build creative thinking and peaceful resolutions from conflicted opinions as parents combine personal preferences and intuitive understanding with the best interests of their own children.
Learn About Custody & Divorce
Specialty testing may need to be considered, and can be arranged in the community or through our office when necessary. Please discuss this with us at the time of your initial visit or later during the consultation process.