Dorothy Drew Stenehjem,LICSW
Therapist
Hello, I’m Dorothy Drew Stenehjem, LICSW, a licensed therapist offering couples, individual, and group therapy to clients in California and Massachusetts. I provide virtual sessions that create a supportive space for reflection, insight, and personal growth.
My approach blends a humanistic-existential perspective with evidence-based cognitive-behavioral tools. With a strong clinical background in substance addiction, I also help individuals navigate the emotional challenges that come with recovery.
I hold a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Southern California’s Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work and a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from Mills College. I’m also a Certified Imago Relationship Therapist, trained to help couples build deeper connections through empathy and safe communication.
Before starting my private practice, I was part of a team at McLean Hospital, Harvard’s psychiatric teaching hospital in Massachusetts, where we conducted psychiatric evaluations in local emergency departments. I also served as a Spiritual Care Counselor at the Betty Ford Center in California. Before becoming a therapist, I spent 25 years as an Emmy-nominated sound editor for television and film.
If you’re looking for a thoughtful and welcoming space to reflect and engage in meaningful work, I’d be honored to support you on your journey.
“Life is constantly flowing forward, and it will cause us to leave behind, autonomously, those places where we were once comfortable. And if you get used to the notions of the journey, you see, then you realize home is where you are. Home is where your soul is. Home is where you find your sharpest edge in engaging life’s mysteries.”
James Hollis
"Transforming Sound into Soul: My Journey from Sound Editor to Therapist"
In 2010, my life took a meaningful turn when I became a hospice volunteer. After years in television and film as a sound editor and co-running a post-production company with my husband, I felt a quiet, persistent longing for deeper purpose. That first hospice training opened my heart to life’s most essential questions and sparked my desire to serve others.
This calling led me to volunteer at Metropolitan State Hospital in Los Angeles, where I met individuals often overlooked by society. Each encounter revealed their inherent dignity and worth. Moved by the experience, I left the film industry at age 49 to pursue a Master’s in Social Work, a leap into a new chapter with a clear sense of purpose. The journey transformed my worldview and strengthened my belief in the power of meaningful change.
Now, I split my time between Palm Springs, CA, and Cape Cod, MA. My husband and I live with our two cats, Eames and Eliot, named after designer Charles Eames and poet T.S. Eliot. My son works in fashion design in Los Angeles.
Outside of work, I enjoy reading, watching films, collecting mid-century furniture, and spending time in nature, either exploring painterly desert canyons or soaking in the beauty of Cape Cod.
Ready to explore what matters most to you? Let’s connect.
credentials
Diplomas:
Master's Degree in Social Work, 2013
University of Southern California
Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work
Los Angeles, California
Bachelor's Degree in Communication, 1983
Mills College
Oakland, California
Licenses
Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW)
Massachusetts
License No. 119594
Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)
California
License No. 93948
Certifications:
Certified Imago Therapist
Affiliations:
Member Imago Relationships North America
Member National Association of Social Workers
Member Academy of the Television Arts and Sciences