Monica Dils, LPC

About Monica

First of all, I love working with kiddos. They are so honest and so resilient that I believe they can overcome almost any obstacle.

I also love helping families build and strengthen the bonds that connect them. Parents want to love their children well, and children need to be loved. These attachments — especially early in life — are what set people up for healthy functioning and relationships later on. It is so meaningful to me to be able to teach parents how to care for their kids the way they want to, and to help children overcome the issues they struggle with so they can experience the freedom and joy that kids should be experiencing.

Education & Training

I received a Bachelor of Science degree from Illinois State University in Mathematics with a minor in Sociology. I graduated with a Master's in Counseling from Western Seminary in 2011 and have been a licensed counselor in Oregon since 2015.

I specialize in working with children ages 3–12 and their families. My clinical experience includes counseling children and families experiencing anxiety, depression, divorce, grief, and trauma — as well as families with foster and adoptive children, and children with special needs and developmental disabilities in outpatient and community-based mental health settings.

My specialized training includes:

• Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP)
• Circle of Security parent training
• Collaborative Problem Solving
• Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)
• Foster and adoptive family support

My Approach

I enjoy helping families build more secure attachment relationships through creative and expressive modalities — including narrative therapy, art, sand tray, and play therapy. These approaches meet children where they are developmentally, creating safety for the work of healing.

Personal Life

In my free time I enjoy hiking, backpacking, travel, reading, baking, crafting, gardening, and berry picking!