Shonda J. Pertilla, CEO/Founder

Hello! Thanks for your interest in DreamWell Counseling & Consulting. I'm excited and extremely grateful to have finally realized my dream of creating a sacred practice and safe space, all for the purpose of empowering and supporting individuals and families in need of professional mental health and rehabilitative services. The mission here at DreamWell is to facilitate healing and to make a positive impact in our global community through the healing art and science of counseling.

"Counselors are designers of the mind", were the encouraging words of my favorite professor in graduate school. These words felt like a warm embrace. His words made sense in 2006, when my 10 year career as an interior designer transitioned from designing accessible interior spaces into Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling. During this time I began counseling youth and adults with physical disabilities to overcome the physical limitations and psychosocial barriers to education, employment and to just living life fully.

As a result of this transition, the last 10 years of my life has been dedicated to supporting people with mental and physical limitations and barriers, in overcoming them and focusing more on realizing their highest potential. This experience has been equally challenging and humbling yet gratifying.

Through this work, I gained an in depth knowledge that has significantly broadened my understanding of persons from diverse walks of life, facing a variety of barriers related to education, employment, recreational activities and social outlets. The experience taught me the power of patience, faith and hard work.

It also became clear to me that it takes the collaboration of a community of people to support and empower individuals and their families in overcoming the most difficult life challenges. Consistent and effective communication along with collaboration makes or breaks a plan to re-establish a clear vision for realizing life goals and aspirations. They needed a team, a village of family, friends, health care professional and community organizations, all on the same page, supporting them in staying the course towards mental health and rehabilitation.

So, in May 2012 DreamWell was born out of what saddened me about the struggles of persons with disabilities and what I had grown to know about people in general.

• People are as effective as the systems in which they dwell, whether that be a family system, a work environment or a global community
• People thrive when their needs are met
• People thrive when they are good with themselves, understand who they are, what they have to offer and ultimately how they can positively contribute, serve and impact their communities
• Lack of self-awareness and self-esteem are just as disabling as mental and physical limitations
• The greatest challenge for any counselor is helping a client to break generational family dysfunction, self-defeating thoughts, low self-esteem and to facilitate the healing of guilt and shame

I declared that DreamWell would be a bright and shining light for all who desired, not only competent and professional counseling and therapy services, but for those seeking compassionate, insightful, spiritually minded and loving counselors, who are passionate about helping them to make positive, wholisitic life changes through the art and science of counseling.

DreamWell was founded on my belief that positive changes in spirit, transforms thoughts and beliefs into positive actions, progress, positive self-esteem and positive changes that can change and empower life.

I pray that we are empowered to facilitate the healing that we envision in your life.

Sincerely,

Shonda J. Pertilla, MA, LPC, CRC, CLCP

CEO/DreamWell Counseling & Consulting