- Years in practice
- 9
- Credentials
- LCSW
- Licensed in
- Illinois
- Languages
- English
- Focus
- Stress, Anxiety
- Focus
- Relationship issues
- Focus
- Family conflicts
About Dina
Dina Payne is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who helps people navigate parenting stress and relationship strain. She speaks plainly and listens closely so parents can talk about what is hard without judgment. Dina aims to build straightforward plans that fit each family's life and goals.
Dina earned a Master of Social Work from Saint Louis University in 2008, with emphasis on school social work and marriage and the family.
Background and approach
She has worked across settings including foster care, a college, and a high school. Her background includes individual therapy with adolescents and adults, and experience as a couples counselor. In sessions she uses practical, goal-focused methods.
That can mean identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing new ways of thinking, focusing on trauma when it matters, or centering the conversation on the client's own goals and values. She prefers clear steps that clients can try between meetings. Dina has nine years of clinical experience and holds an Illinois Licensed Clinical Social Worker credential - LCSW.
Her practice covers common concerns such as anxiety, depression, relationship challenges, parenting stress, addictions, grief, and issues around intimacy and self-esteem. Outside of work she enjoys walking her dogs, reading, practicing yoga, and doing crafts. She brings a calm, down-to-earth presence and practical problem solving to sessions with people juggling family life and the demands of daily living.
What Dina works with
Everything Dina lists, in the therapist's own terms. Parenting is the reason this directory exists; the rest shows what else Dina helps people with.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Family conflicts
- Depression
- Addictions
- LGBT
- Trauma and abuse
- Grief
- Intimacy-related issues
- Eating disorders
- Parenting issues
- Anger management
- Self esteem
- Career difficulties
- Coping with life changes
- ADHD
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Attachment issues
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Commitment issues
- Control issues
- Family problems
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Infidelity
- Isolation / loneliness
- Life purpose
- Men's issues
- Midlife crisis
- Multicultural concerns
- Post-traumatic stress
- Prejudice and discrimination
- Self-love
- Sex addiction
- Sexuality
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Somatization
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
Approaches Dina lists
Listing an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist names and does not check training records.
Using practical approaches online for parenting and relationships
Dina draws on client-centered work to put the person's goals first, creating space for parents to describe what feels most difficult and what they hope to change. Client-centered Therapy focuses on listening, reflecting, and helping people identify their own next steps, which can feel useful when juggling family demands.She also uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, which helps people notice unhelpful thoughts and try new behaviors. CBT is often used for anxiety, depression, parenting stress, and problems with anger or self-esteem because it gives short-term skills to test between sessions.
Finding the right approach is part of the work. Dina will collaborate with each client to choose which ideas to use and adjust them as goals evolve. She treats the process as a partnership and checks in about what is or isn't working so plans can be changed together.
Online sessions are offered by video call, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging to fit different schedules. Video calls let people work face-to-face when it helps, phone sessions can be a lower-bandwidth option, and chat or text can be used for brief check-ins or when a written record of progress is helpful. This flexibility helps parents and busy adults fit therapy into a weeknight or a lunch break.
Questions people ask about Dina
What concerns does Dina help with?
Dina works with a wide range of issues, including stress, anxiety, relationship and family concerns, depression, addictions, trauma, grief, parenting challenges, anger, self-esteem, and ADHD.
What is her therapy style like?
She uses a client-centered approach combined with cognitive behavioral techniques and trauma-focused work when appropriate. Sessions emphasize clear, practical steps and collaboration on goals.
How much clinical experience does she have?
Dina has nine years of experience working in a variety of settings including foster care, schools, and individual therapy with adolescents and adults.
What are her credentials and location?
She is an LCSW - Licensed Clinical Social Worker - licensed in Illinois and practices from that state.
Which languages are supported and can international clients work with her?
Sessions are offered in English. International clients are not currently accepted.
What session formats are available?
She offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to suit different needs and schedules.
How does billing and cost work?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability and sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule sessions according to therapist availability.
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