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.
Research has shown that stress can be a significant contributing factor to drug and alcohol use. It has also been shown to be a driving force in relapse once a...
Seeking treatment for alcohol and drug use means not only getting help to fight the substance abuse disorder but also learning how to say no to temptations once the...
Did you know that, on average, American teenagers are exposed to three alcohol ads daily? That amounts to nearly 1,100 ads yearly! While all ads they view may not...
When a teen is recovering from a substance abuse disorder, they must learn how to rebuild relationships that may have suffered while they were using drugs and alcohol. This...
When teens complete a treatment program for a substance abuse disorder, they want to regain their social life but need to learn how to do so while remaining sober....
Whether teens are dealing with a mental issue while receiving treatment or not, the positive impact residential programs for youth can have on mental health cannot be denied. Ember...
During treatment for teen substance abuse in Cambridge, IA, teens must learn how to continue to live a sober life and be social outside of a treatment center. The...
When looking at the prevalence of teen drug use, no one group is immune from being at risk for developing a substance abuse disorder. Adolescents living anywhere and in...
Teen addiction treatment centers not only help teens combat their substance abuse disorders and teach them how to live a sober life, but they also provide valuable lessons to...