Cara J. Dixon, LPC, NCC

Cara J. Dixon, LPC, NCC is a clinical licensed professional counselor in the state of Pennsylvania, and nationally board certified (NCC). She graduated cum laude with a bachelor’s degree from Eastern University, where she also earned a master’s degree in Counseling Psychology. During her training, Cara participated in research for child development studies at the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard University. Cara is also an EMDR Certified Therapist through EMDRIA, and currently an EMDR Consultant in Training (CIT). 

Her post graduate experience includes working as a behavior specialist in many local schools, and providing counseling and assessment for young adults in a university counseling center. Cara began working in private practice in 2011, providing therapy for individuals, couples, and families. Cara is a Certified Facilitator and Seminar Director for Prepare and Enrich, an assessment designed for couples. She has also worked as a consultant for several large organizations to develop effective mental health programming. Cara served as the Director of Counseling Services at The Stony Brook School, a boarding and day school in Long Island, NY, for several years. Through this experience, she created programming and protocol specific to adolescents to promote optimal growth and flourishing amidst the changes and challenges in this developmental stage. In 2013, Cara started writing as a contributor for The Huffington Post, and in 2015 she published a Children's book on coping with change, The Tales of Big Tree: Little Leaf Lets Go. 

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Cara returned, with her family, to the suburbs of Philadelphia in 2016, and was one of the founders of an Intensive Outpatient and Partial Hospitalization Program, Main Line Day, LLC. There, she served as the Director of Program Development and Clinical Supervisor. Cara was the company’s Leader of Accreditation, which earned the Joint Commission Gold Star for meeting all compliance standards.

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Cara has trained and supervised students from the University of Pennsylvania, Swarthmore College, and Eastern University. Additionally, Cara also supervises master’s level clinicians working towards licensure. Cara is currently on staff at the Graduate School of Education at the University of Pennsylvania, where she provides supervision for graduate students in her role as a Seminar Leader.  

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Cara’s approach to treatment accesses the safety and support of the therapeutic relationship, to heal and develop adaptive strategies for optimal functioning. She integrates cognitive-behavioral principles, dialectical behavioral (DBT) techniques, and mindfulness practices that are empirically supported to provide symptom relief. Cara has specialized training in Schema Therapy from The International Society of Schema Therapy Institute. Schema therapy is a comprehensive, evidence based psychotherapy that promotes more adaptive thoughts, emotions and relationships. Through a variety of techniques, Cara educates and empowers individuals, couples and families to flourish as they move towards their goals for growth.