Dawn LaCarte is the Founder and CEO of Dawn LaCarte Coaching & Consulting. As the leader of an independent behavioral health consulting firm, Dawn directs families and their loved ones to appropriate programs based on their specific needs. She has a passion for improving and changing the lives of the individuals and families struggling with addiction and other behavioral health disorders. She has dedicated her life to this cause.
Dawn is an internationally recognized clinical behavioral healthcare professional with over 25 years in the field. She has served in numerous capacities, in all treatment modalities including senior-level administration, program director, therapist, and business development.
Dawn LaCarte Coaching & Consulting’s approach is strength-based, present and future tense. Drawing from her expansive skill set as a clinician, Dawn equips her clients with practical, applicable coping mechanisms, so they don’t just survive, but thrive in their daily lives. Her approach is tailored, providing deeply individualized holistic care, meaning that she addresses mental health in conjunction with each client’s physical, spiritual, and relationships inclusive of family.
Dawn has worked with thousands of families from all over the globe to build and tailor solutions. She has visited numerous treatment and therapeutic programs around the country and has developed strong relationships with only the highest quality providers.
Each family will receive a completely customized plan built exclusively for the concerns of the client. Dawn operates from a Family Systems model, which ensures each member of the family gets the appropriate attention and resources to deal with the crisis at hand. She utilizes a large variety of professionals and a collaborative team approach to review each case, ensuring a comprehensive and thorough assessment and placement.
Dawn’s thousands of connections throughout the addiction and therapeutic worlds are at the disposal of every family she works with and allows her the ability to tailor her services to every single family that contacts her.
Partnering with families to navigate the behavioral healthcare landscape, connecting them with the clinically appropriate level of care suited to their specific identified needs is where Dawn feels most rewarded. She is deeply passionate about finding the perfect fit for every client. She works diligently to help clients find long term recovery and help families heal themselves. Dawn specializes in building and developing individualized and custom therapeutic options, often using her extensive healthcare network to provide out-of-the-box solutions for clients and their families. At DLC, her extensive network of professional contacts provide access to a diverse range of mental health, therapeutic, and addiction treatment options for clients and their families.
An upstate NY native, Dawn holds a BA from the NYS University at Albany, where she pursued her master’s degree in Social Work. Through her continued commitment to the field, she also became a NYS OASAS Advanced Certified Alcohol and Substance Abuse Counselor, Certified Clinical Interventionist, Certified Recovery Coach, Master Reiki Teacher, Master Certified Life Coach and Certified Grief Educator.
When she’s not coaching clients from coast to coast, Dawn is a philanthropist, a feminist, and a decent Scrabble player. She loves gardening, spending time with her daughter and husband, as well as studying the latest findings and applications in the fields of cognitive psychology, business strategy and marketing. Dawn is the proud pet parent to Chloe, her Cavalier King Charles who is the doggy love of her life.
Dawn LaCarte is a proud member of NAADAC, American Counseling Association, Association of Intervention Specialist, American Academy of Addiction Psychiatrists, NEFESH as well as the International Coaching Federation.
What drew you to the field of behavioral health?
An identified need for discreet, bespoke, concierge support services for individuals and families who suffer from a multitude of issues such as addiction, traumatic life transitions, healthcare navigation, grief & loss.
Being a person in long-term recovery and trauma survivor, I am perfectly positioned to help people overcome barriers and evolve into the person they were meant to be.
What are your main objectives in this field?
To equip clients with practical, applicable coping mechanisms, so they do not just survive, but thrive in their daily lives. My approach is tailored, providing deeply individualized holistic care, meaning that we address mental health in conjunction with each client’s physical, spiritual, and relationships also inclusive of the family.
What motivated you to start Dawn LaCarte Coaching and Consulting?
I founded DLC because I saw a need for more specialized services in the behavioral health field. Too often, people are directed to generic programs that may not be a good fit for them, or they’re not given enough support to make a successful recovery.
My team and I take a Family Systems Model approach, which means that we provide comprehensive care that addresses the needs of the entire family. We collaborate with other high-quality providers to ensure that each client receives the best possible care.
What is your favorite thing about what you do?
It’s always when someone connects more meaningfully with other people, has a clearer sense of who they are, and finds true purpose in their lives. They feel more serene and more comfortable in their own skin after feeling so undeserving of love and belonging for so long. When they have a more self-compassionate sense of who they are and what they’ve been through, it allows them to live more fully in the present moment.
What challenges do you face in this field?
It’s always a battle with insurance companies for coverage. For instance, addiction is a diagnosable medical condition. However, the stigma associated with addiction can lead to insurance coverage issues for medical care and rehabilitation. Some health plans have financial incentives to deny treatment, and they may word health policies to misrepresent what is covered under the insurance plan. This runaround leads to people jumping through hoops to try to get coverage, which can be very difficult for someone who is already dealing with addiction. It’s common to face rejected claims, delays, or only being offered treatment far from home in this situation. Lack of insurance coverage is a common reason people won’t seek treatment, simply because their insurance plan doesn’t provide them with the means to afford care. When it comes to problems like addiction, these are serious issues that can significantly impact the lives of those struggling, as well as the people who care about them. Everyone deserves to get the help that they need.
What is one challenge you’ve faced in the past and how did you overcome it?
When I was younger, I had several projects which I found difficult to let go of because the thought of giving up made me feel like a failure. Despite the fact that the idea wasn’t working I had a hard time surrendering to the fact that it was time to let it go. Eventually, with the help of my supportive friends and colleagues, I was able to let go and move on.
Because of those experiences, I’ve learned how important it is to build a support system of people who will be honest with me and give me the feedback I need to be successful.
What do you think are the most important things for people to understand about behavioral health?
There are a lot of myths and misconceptions out there about behavioral health, and it’s important for people to get the facts. Behavioral health issues are not indicative of someone’s character or worth as a person. They are illnesses that should be treated with compassion and respect.
Behavioral health issues are often accompanied by things like substance use, trauma, depression, or anxiety. It’s important to address these issues simultaneously for the person to move on and become the best version of themselves.
What do you feel are the most important things you’ve learned in your years of experience?
The most important things I’ve learned in my years of experience are that behavioral health issues are very complex and that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to addressing them. Each client requires a unique treatment plan that is tailored to their specific needs.
I’ve also learned that it’s important to provide support to both the clients and their families. Families are often left feeling helpless and alone when one member suffers from a behavioral health issue. I believe that providing them with the support they need is critical to achieving long-term success.
What’s your vision for the future of Dawn LaCarte Coaching and Consulting?
My vision for Dawn LaCarte Coaching and Consulting is to continue providing bespoke, concierge services. I intend on expanding our services to include more locations and more specialized programs. And I want to continue educating people about the stigma surrounding addiction and mental health to help break down the myths and misconceptions that exist and normalize recovery.
If you or someone you know is suffering from a behavioral health issue, I urge you to seek help. Don’t suffer in silence. You are not alone. There is a solution.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
Maya Angelou once said, “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.” This quote serves as a reminder of a simple truth: We’re all figuring out this thing called life as we grow through it. We’re all doing the best we can based on the information and resources we have at our disposal. But some things are simply better learned through experience.
Do your best. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. You will do better when you know how. And you often only find out when you get there.
What would you say to someone who is considering entering this field?
If you’re considering entering this field, I would say go for it! It’s an incredibly rewarding career and you can make a real difference in the lives of people who are suffering. Be prepared for a lot of hard work. This is not an easy field to work in and you need to be dedicated to helping people help themselves.
What is one thing you do as an entrepreneur that you would suggest to others?
Learn from mistakes. When you learn from your mistakes, you move closer to success – even though you initially failed. It’s part of the process.
What is your favorite motivational quote?
My favorite motivational quote is “Be the change you want to see in the world.” I believe that we all have the power to make a difference, and by setting an example, we can inspire others to do the same. We can create a better world one person at a time.
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