I am a licensed therapist, mother, creative, and wife to an artist for over 20 years. I also identify as a woman of color and prioritize creating safe spaces for diversity in culture and expression. I have a Masters degree from Pepperdine University in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy, and an MFA from  California Institute of the Arts in Dance and Choreography. I focused my clinical training on professional creatives from diverse populations who were seeking relief from situations that had become emotionally untenable. Drawing on my creative and clinical experience, I combine theoretical rigor with curiosity and instinct.

Prior to becoming a therapist, I worked extensively with body expression as a choreographer, teacher, and Pilates instructor. For over 20 years, I helped others examine their personal narrative through physical investigation, and experience somatic and spiritual healing through body awareness and integration.

I became a therapist for 2 reasons:

First - I saw the Alexander McQueen fashion exhibit: Savage Beauty, in New York City in 2011. The exhibit honored the work of McQueen who took his own life in 2010. McQueen suffered from depression and anxiety, and struggled with drug use prior to his death. The exhibit was exquisite, mind-blowing really and I thought, what, if anything, could have been done differently to stop his untimely death. We need more people who can be there for thought leaders because the world loses big when they are gone. 

Second - My mom passed a few years later. First I thought WTF! She was amazing and again the world lost out. And then I thought, well life is possibly much shorter than I thought it would be, I better stop messing around. I realized my favorite part about teaching and making work was the connection I made with my students and dancers while witnessing their lives bloom and unfold in extraordinary ways. I realized what really made me happy was seeing other people find their groove. 

I am passionate about therapy. At its core it is an artistic endeavor -  collaborative, poetic, and profound. It is a communication built on trust, kindness, and humanity. It is intuitive, visceral, and soulfully grounded. It is a gestural dance, spoken word, comic riff, performance art adventure. It is what I am here to do. 

So here I am. Ready to work.

I will rally when the chips are down, I will cheer at every triumph, and hold the space when only quiet will do. 

“Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I’ll meet you there.” - Rumi

Randé Dorn is a graduate of Pepperdine University's Graduate School in Clinical Psychology and is registered with the BBS as a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist 111746.