Connie Dawson, M.A., LMHC, RPT-S, CAS
Connie believes the counseling process begins with the idea that each person wants to work past current challenges and has the ability to grow and change given a helpful provider and appropriate intervention. She is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Registered Play Therapy-Supervisor, a Qualified Supervisor in Mental Health and Family Therapy and and a Certified Brainspotting Therapist. She has more than 20 years of experience working with clients in a variety of settings including advocacy work and community education, and founded The Hazel Counseling Center for Families and Children, PLLC in 2008. She is dedicated to providing quality mental health interventions using integrative treatment methods and pursues current training and knowledge in the mental health field in order to provide the Oviedo/Winter Springs area with dynamic care in a group practice setting.
Connie gets to know each person in order to understand their story, and then applies the most relevant technique while using more comprehensive interventions as needed. Connie believes in the client’s right to guide their own counseling experience.
Connie emphasizes the use of Interpersonal Neurobiology in order to use what we know and understand about the mind and body working together to offer the most complete resolution and sense of well being with presenting problems. She supplements this with her training in Play Therapy, Coherence Therapy, Brainspotting Therapy, and Sand Tray Therapy. It is often a combination of these interventions that helps a client move past and through challenges.
As a Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor, Connie provides a dedicated space within the counseling offices in order to provide play therapy as well as offering play therapy training for other therapists.
When Connie has free time, you will often find her out on the bike trails and elsewhere taking in nature. Watch for some photos of those adventures when you come in for a visit!
Please contact Connie to discuss your counseling needs.
Education:
- Master’s Degree in Counselor Education-University of South Dakota
- Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor-Association for Play Therapy
- Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology-Purdue University
Yemanja Krasnow, MSW, LCSW
I believe in creating a safe, compassionate, and trustworthy environment where my clients feel heard, not judged, and empowered to choose their own path to healing. I believe in providing a holistic approach for each individual client to help them develop their own toolbox with skills that not only will guide them through their healing process, but also maintain their treatment gains in the days to come.
I have twenty years of direct experience designing, managing, and implementing programs that address sexual assault, domestic violence, child abuse, parenting education, and life coping skills. I work with individuals, couples, families, groups, veterans, first responders, and the military community.
As a fulltime employee at Hazel Counseling Center, I continue to focus my clinical efforts on treating individuals struggling with complex issues including trauma, anxiety, dual-diagnosis, and other mood disorders. I have been a longtime advocate for many underrepresented populations including the Latino, survivors of sexual violence, and the LGBTQ+ community. I am fluent in Spanish and Portuguese and am available to provide services in both languages.
When not working, I spend time advocating for my community and enjoy having fun in the water with my three children.
I received a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology and a Master of Clinical Social Work degree with a sub-concentration in military social work and veteran services from the University of Southern California.
Nicholas Hundley, MSW, RCSWI
Nick is a registered clinical social work intern who received his master’s degree in social work from the University of Central Florida. Beyond his Master’s, he also obtained a graduate certificate in military social work. He has experience working with a variety of clients through several different settings including children, young adults, adults, active-duty military, veterans, and their families; Nick has experience working with anxiety, depression, trauma, substance use and abuse, and many other clinical problems.
Nick believes in creating a safe, confidential, and individual centered space where clients are empowered to tell their story without judgement and to work together to find their unique path to healing. Nick emphasizes the client as an individual and works to help them discover the skills and tools that work for them in the present and future.
As a therapist, Nick utilizes many different clinical theories and interventions when working with clients, including cognitive behavioral therapy, narrative therapy, solution-focused family therapy, and emotion-focused family therapy.
Beyond his clinical work, Nick is actively engaged in research on assisted living facilities, Asian Americans, and the physical, mental health, and social impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic.
When not working, Nick is out on the water fishing, rock climbing, or playing sports with friends.
Cade Resnick, PhD, Marriage and Family Therapist Intern
A counselor is more than just someone you meet with, they are someone you want to feel comfortable with, someone you can trust, you know they care and you know that you matter – because you are coming to meet with someone you are going to share your inner most secrets. My approach to counseling is that we are a team working through what has brought you to us.My philosophy is to find ways to turn toward the issues we deal with and find ways to work through them positively. Sometimes the situations we deal with seem as if they are never going to change, yet with a good team and the proper tools to help you, you can make that change possible.
I am a Marriage and Family Therapist specializing in helping Couples who are going through some of their darkest times. You may not be seeing what the other side of the forest can look like, yet with a calm, guided approach, we can get you where you need to be in a safe and healthy way.
Life is filled with many little stories that make us who we are, it is these stories we will work together to untangle. Through a mindfulness approach to helping you, we create a safe and relaxing environment for you to begin the healing process. Our goal together is to learn your story and empower you to find a way to heal.
As a therapist, my areas of expertise are in trauma, personality, anxiety, stress and addiction. Families are often a combination of many differing psychological scenarios, and so teasing these apart to find our way through the mini traumas can help heal you, your partner and your family toward a healthy future.
My personal belief is there is always a positive solution we can achieve together for your wellbeing.
One of my strengths is in working effectively not only with adults but with couples, families, and teenagers. I look forward to speaking with you and getting to know what’s going on.
Beyond the counseling office, I also have extensive experience as a professor of psychology. I have been an adjunct faculty at Stetson University since 2012.
I look forward to working with you – to help as a partner for your future health and mental well being.
Rachel Szafranski, Marriage and Family Therapist Intern
Rachel works from a collaborative, strength-based approach, assisting and supporting clients to be the author of their own lives. She believes that everyone should have a safe and healing place to work through life’s difficulties. In order to create a secure therapeutic relationship between counselor and client, Rachel emphasizes building trust and values each client. She loves working with children, teens, families, and couples and has experience working with teens and their families in inpatient level of care as well as school-based therapy programs. Her ultimate goal is to help her clients reach their highest potential and to help families live more harmonious and happier lives together.
Rachel is a registered intern in Marriage and Family therapy. She received her counseling master’s degree from the University of Central Florida. Rachel spent 15 years teaching in the public-school setting and has a master’s degree in education. She has experience treating clients with anxiety, depression, mood disorders, ADHD, disruptive disorders, self-esteem, trauma, and relationship challenges. Under the umbrella of a family-systems based approach, Rachel works eclectically to suit the needs of the individual. This may include CBT, DBT, Solution-focused therapy, and person-centered therapy.
When Rachel is not working you will find her spending time with her family, exercising, and attending sporting events. Go Knights!
Dulce Merida, Registered Mental Health Counselor Intern
Dulce is a Registered Mental Health Counseling Intern who received her Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Palm Beach Atlantic University. For nine years, Dulce was a preschool teacher in addition to working in Youth Ministry at her church. Dulce fell in love with the world of counseling after she experienced the care and patience from a counselor she personally had in her early twenties.
Dulce believes that counseling works best when the client and the counselor work alongside each other to help growth occur. Dulce believes that with patience, a willingness to do the hard work, and encouragement, clients can reach the clarity they often seek in sessions. As a therapist, Dulce utilizes many different clinical theories and interventions when working with clients, including Narrative Therapy, Attachment Theory, and Internal Family Systems. Dulce has experience in working with anxiety, depression, and trauma, among other clinical needs. Throughout her life, Dulce has worked in numerous settings that included working with children (ages 3-12) and teenagers (13-18).
Dulce is currently working towards her PhD in Counseling Education and Supervision and is expected to graduate May of 2027. Dulce is also currently working towards her Registered Play Therapist and Licensed Mental Health Counselor licenses, both which will be hopefully obtained by January of 2024.
Beyond her clinical work, Dulce is actively engaged in the public school system and helps mentor and guide elementary, middle, and high school students to find their way through major life transitions. When not working, Dulce is usually working out, reading, spending time with her three pets (two cats and one dog), cooking, or spending time with her family and friends.