Andrea Dickerson is a Licensed Therapist and Certified Substance Use Counselor who has worked in behavioral health since 1997. Currently, Andrea is the Director of Behavioral Health, overseeing the Ember residential treatment programs and YSS outpatient counseling clinics throughout Central and North Central Iowa. She became a Motivational Interviewing (MI) trainer in 2006 and provides MI trainings throughout Iowa.
Andrea specializes in working with adolescents and their families and enjoys seeing the family relationships grow through therapy. Andrea is also a CARF International Surveyor, going around North America ensuring behavioral health organizations are meeting required standards.
In her free time, Andrea enjoys cheering on the Iowa Hawkeyes and Chicago Cubs, as well as being an active member of Soroptimist International of the Americas (SIA), a global organization that provides women and girls with access to the education and training they need to achieve economic empowerment. She has been a member of the SI of Des Moines club since 2012 and has been actively involved at the regional level, currently serving as Co-Governor of the Peaks to Plains Region.
Through her involvement in SIA, Andrea has been actively involved in the Dream Programs, coordinating annual Dream It, Be It: Career Support for Girls projects, which give girls the tools they need to achieve their education and career goals, empowering them to break cycles of poverty, violence, and abuse.
Families comparing residential programs for troubled youth near me want care that’s effective and accessible. Telehealth now makes it easier for teens and young adults to receive continuous, evidence-informed...
Completing treatment is a major milestone—but for many teens, maintaining recovery after leaving a program can be one of the hardest steps. The period following residential or intensive outpatient...
For families searching for residential programs for troubled youth near me, it’s important to understand that many teens struggling with substance use also face underlying mental health challenges. Known...
Many families looking into residential programs for troubled youth near me may worry about logistics, stigma, or disruptions in care. Virtual therapy offers a solution: teens and young adults...
When a teen or young adult begins the journey toward recovery, healing extends beyond the individual—it includes the entire family. For many families, distance, work, and busy schedules can...
For teens struggling with both substance use and mental health challenges, navigating recovery can feel overwhelming. Co-occurring disorders, or dual diagnosis, often exacerbate one another, creating complex barriers to...
Recovery from teen substance use is not an individual journey, it involves the entire family system. Teens are influenced by their home environment, parental guidance, and family relationships, all...
When a teen struggles with substance use, effective recovery requires more than detoxification or medication management. Therapeutic interventions address the underlying causes of addiction while equipping teens with skills...
When a teen struggles with substance use, recovery often begins with detoxification; the process of safely clearing harmful substances from the body under medical supervision. While detox itself is...
When a teen struggles with substance use or addiction, a comprehensive approach to recovery is critical. Short-term treatment programs may offer immediate support, but long-term residential treatment provides teens...