Today we’d like to introduce you to Dina Gambella, LMFT.
Hi Dina, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My journey began in college after suddenly losing my closest childhood friend to suicide. Rocked by grief, my family sought professional help as I struggled to find closure and peace. Working with a therapist, I began to cope with the pain of loss. Emotional growth began with consistent care from my therapist, allowing my undergraduate studies to take on new meaning. Realizing that I wanted to help others facing emotional crises, I completed my bachelor’s at East Carolina University. I moved to Charlotte to pursue a Master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy. After finishing my master’s and becoming licensed by the North Carolina Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, my work began in 2012. My career started by providing care to underserved children and their families who were in critical need of mental health intervention. After two years of exploring the root causes of individual and family issues, combined with a continued passion for serving, I transitioned to treating individuals struggling with opiate addiction. I began leading Intensive Outpatient groups in conjunction with the Mecklenburg County Drug Treatment Court services. Refocusing on my original mission of caring for those who could best benefit from my training, I began working with severe cases of disordered eating at The Renfrew Center Charlotte, providing individual and group therapy and leading Renfrew’s yoga program for patients. The next and most natural step for me was founding my private practice, Fellow Traveler Counseling, specializing in the treatment of couples and families with an additional focus on disordered eating and body image. My lived experience, open-mindedness, and compassion, coupled with my experience and training, provided me with the expertise to work with a diverse population of clients and their presenting problems. Since 2016, my practice has grown to 9 therapists treating various issues.
It wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Taking risks, challenging myself, and trusting in the process have been key in building Fellow Traveler. I have met thousands of individuals in my career, all unique and complex, who have inspired and crafted my treatment approach. Building a group practice has been both challenging and rewarding all at the same time–our ethos remains steadfast; we are fellow travelers alongside our clients to empower them toward their special brand of evolution and growth.
Let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Fellow Traveler Counseling is an outpatient mental health practice in Dilworth, Charlotte, NC. We offer virtual and in-person sessions to accommodate all schedules and lifestyles; taking a holistic person-centered approach, our treatment approach is individually tailored to specific needs. Utilizing evidence-based practices and creative experiential techniques, we create space for change. Our work aims to increase emotional tolerance, enhance productive communication, foster self-awareness, and strengthen resiliency. Our therapists are highly skilled and trained and specialize in a multitude of issues such as Eating Disorders, Couple/Family Therapy, Substance/Behavioral Addiction, Play Therapy, OCD/Anxiety, and Depression; we provide EMDR for trauma, grief/loss, LGBTQ+ issues, sexual health, and other mood disorders. We pride ourselves on offering an individualized, elevated experience of therapy in the beautiful historic district of Dilworth. Our therapists provide genuine, warm, highly skilled, evidence-based treatment approaches. We aim to meet those we serve precisely where they are and work collaboratively to find productive solutions to their challenges.
What are your plans for the future?
As we continue to evolve and grow, our practice looks to expand and create more opportunities for community engagement, philanthropy, and collaboration among other therapists/helping professionals in Charlotte and beyond.
Pricing:
- We are a self-pay practice, offering super bills for clients to provide to their insurance providers for out-of-network benefits. We also accept HSA as payment and can work on a sliding scale as needed.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.dglmft.com
- Instagram: @fellow_traveveler_counseling, @dina_ftc
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fellowtravelercounseling
Image Credits
Tristin Nicole Photography
