Welcome!  I’m Dawnn Rabinovich Meiers, Psy.D.

Whether you’re a nature lover or hoping to grow new skills, I’m glad that you are here.

What to expect from this website:

• Information on individual ecotherapy and telehealth services (at this time, available only to women who reside in Washington State). 
• Links to articles and research studies, which highlight the benefits of green exercise and nature health.
• Registration details for online classes and workshops, which are an excellent way to sample my nature-based approach prior to working together individually.

Qualifications and education:

• Licensure as a psychologist (prior to 2022, under my previous name of McWatters):
  • Washington State (#PY00003711) – active and licensed since 2007;
  • Oregon (#2195) – currently inactive and licensed since 2011
• Education: Pacific University School of Professional Psychology – Psy.D. (2006) and M.S. (2002) in Clinical Psychology; President’s Award of Academic Excellence (2006); Willamette University – B.A. (1995) in Liberal Arts, cum laude

Professional experience highlights:

• I maintained a small private practice as a licensed psychologist from 2007 – 2019 serving the needs of the Portland-metro community and specializing in mindfulness-based eating disorder treatment. In previous years, I held positions in university and college counseling centers, correctional institutions, a community outpatient mental health clinic, and an inpatient psychiatric forensic unit.
• I’ve led numerous presentations (on topics ranging from stress management and mindful eating to therapeutic horticulture) at local colleges, yoga studios, and with various community organizations.
• I taught as an adjunct Assistant Professor and Instructor at several local colleges, including Oregon State University and Pacific University School of Professional Psychology.

For nearly twenty years, I trained with both Buddhist and secular teachers of mindfulness, to include Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn and other staff from the former UMASS medical School Center for Mindfulness, Dr. Jan Chozen Bays, and Dr. Christopher Germer and Dr. Kristin Neff, the developers of the Mindful Self-Compassion program. I remain deeply grateful to the many individuals and community centers that invited me into their sacred spaces to explore these ancient spiritual traditions as they’ve been integrated into Western healing modalities. Currently, I incorporate these practices into my own cultural heritage and share them therapeutically when clients are interested.

When I’m not working, I enjoy spending time with my neurodiverse family and engaging in an ever-widening variety of interests, which include botanical art, nature writing, and amateur birdwatching. I also run a home-based plant nursery, Lavender Belle Farm, specializing in therapeutic horticulture products. You can read more about my growing adventures on that educational site.