Therapist in Manchester, New Hampshire Dakota Downing, Therapist

Dakota Downing helps adults and older adults stabilize, heal, and move forward during periods of emotional distress, life transition, or recovery. As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker at LifeStance Health, she provides individual outpatient therapy to patients throughout New Hampshire, offering structured, compassionate care that emphasizes safety, clarity, and practical skill-building. Dakota treats adults and seniors across a wide range of life stages, including young adulthood, midlife, and later life transitions. Her primary clinical focus includes anxiety, depression, and trauma-related conditions, with experience supporting individuals managing co-occurring mental health and substance use concerns. She works collaboratively with patients to reduce symptoms, strengthen coping strategies, and restore a sense of stability and autonomy. In addition to these core areas, she offers support for additional mental health challenges based on individual needs and treatment goals. A central passion in Dakota’s work is supporting individuals who have been recently discharged from a psychiatric hospital. She understands the vulnerability and uncertainty that can follow hospitalization and focuses on helping patients transition safely back into daily life. Her approach prioritizes stabilization, continuity of care, relapse prevention, and rebuilding confidence through clear treatment planning and skills-based therapy. She also has experience working with individuals from the LGBTQ+ community, first responders, and military members and veterans, providing care that is respectful, affirming, and trauma-informed. Dakota utilizes Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to help patients develop emotional regulation skills, manage distress, and align actions with personal values. She began practicing in 2021 and brings several years of outpatient community mental health experience, including specialized work with co-occurring conditions. Outside of her clinical work, Dakota enjoys being outdoors, hiking, crafting, reading, and spending time playing video games, activities that help her maintain balance and creativity.