Undergraduate Education:

Associate's Degree in Liberal Arts with Diablo Valley College, Bachelor's of Arts degree in Psychology and minored in Women's Studies from the California State University, Hayward (now it's called East Bay instead of Hayward)

Graduate Education:

Masters in Education degree for Counseling Psychology from the University of Utah

Professional Licenses:

Wyoming certified Licensed Professional Counselor #981

Clinical Training:

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Moral Reconation Therapy, Current training: Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Counseling Services:

Adults with mental health disorders and substance use disorder issues. Most comfortable with adults. Could work with adolescents and children, South Lincoln County Drug Court, Facilitator for the Love and Logic® parenting course, individual and group therapy sessions

About Dinah:

Dinah JPV James received her undergraduate degree from California State University, Hayward in psychology, and minor in women’s study. While in her undergraduate program, she interned at a battered women shelter/agency as a therapist and telephone crisis-worker. She also observed and participated in the treatment of domestic violence perpetrators. After graduation, she worked as a research assistant for three different professors. This experience supported her acceptance of a doctoral-track graduate study and was accepted by the University of Utah Counseling Psychology program with the Department of Education. Her practicum and internship opportunities were in the University Counseling Center, the Women’s Resource Center, and the Asian Associations of Utah. Nevertheless, she decided to complete her graduate studies with a master's of education in counseling psychology degree.

Dinah's first employment as a provisional professional counselor was with High Country Counseling and Resource Center (now High Country Behavioral Health) in Kemmerer, Wyoming. She worked for the company from February of 2005 to January of 2011. During this time, she obtained her licensure as a licensed professional counselor with the State of Wyoming. Afterward, she worked for Southwest Counseling Services in the Rock Springs and Pinedale locations where her work was primarily with individuals who suffered from substance abuse issues. Her work with the residential treatment at the Rosen Recovery Center had enhanced the skills to effectively work with individuals who struggled with substance abuse. As such, this experience turned out to be the area of interest and expertise for Dinah.

She is the liaison with the South Lincoln County Treatment Court and has a close working relationship with the drug court team. She also collaborates with other community partners, I.e., the Department of Family Services, the South Lincoln Hospital District, the South Lincoln Nursing Center, the Lincoln County Detention Center, and the Wyoming Probation and Parole Department, etc. Her primary focus is to work with adults, though she recently began to work with adolescents. She uses an array of theoretical orientations in cognitive behavioral therapy, psychodynamic theory, feminist psychology theory, dialectical behavioral therapy, and moral reconation therapy in individual and group therapy sessions. She is currently participating in the certification training for trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy with children and adolescents. She also enjoys facilitating the Love and Logic® parenting courses.

Dinah’s belief of her role as a therapist: “I expect that I’m here to support and empower my clients to make prosocial-behavior changes. I may be a sounding-board, an insight-instigator who could guide them to become the best version of themselves. Many people mistakenly think that I’m here to “fix” them. I caution them that I don’t and cannot “fix” people because this work of change must come from themselves. However, I welcome the chance to join them in their journeys to better understand themselves and self-discovery. Together, I hope we can accomplish the behavioral changes that they seek to accomplish."