Professional CV
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Licensed therapist, psychiatric social worker, and researcher specializing in trauma-informed, culturally grounded care. Integrates transpersonal psychology, ecopsychology, holistic mind-body-spirit practices, and neuroscience-based neuropsychotherapy to advance equitable healing for youth, families, and other vulnerable populations.
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2024 - 2026
Saybrook university
Masters in Applied Psychophysiology, MS
Neurofeedback Certification
2020 - 2024
Sofia University
Doctor of Philosophy, PhD
Transpersonal Psychology
2017 - 2019
University of Southern California
Master of Social Work, MSW
Children, Youth & Families
2011 - 2016
California State University, Los Angeles
Bachelor of Arts, BA
Sociology
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2023 – Present
Licensed Psychotherapist
Private Practice, Telehealth & In-Person
2021 – Present
Psychiatric Social Worker
Los Angeles Unified School District
2019 – 2021
Clinician
South Coast Community Services-Children’s Intensive Services
2018 – 2019
Social Work Intern
Dangerfield Institute of Urban Problems
2017 – 2018
School Social Work Intern
Glendale Unified School District
2015 – 2017
Behavioral Therapist (BII)
Inclusive Education and Community Partnership
2016
Life Skills and Student Services Coordinator Intern
LA Kitchen
2014
Children’s Law Center
Student Law Intern
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2024, Doctoral Researcher
Sofia University
Led a comprehensive study on ecotherapy and trauma recovery.
Designed and implemented research methodology and collected and analyzed data.
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Wilson-Dixon, A. (2024). The Role of Nature in Healing Trauma: A Study of Trauma Recovery in Emerging Adults. (Doctoral dissertation, Sofia University). ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global.
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Guest Lecturer, (Fall 2026). “Complex Trauma in Newcomer Adolescents: A Neurobehavioral School Social Work Lens.” USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, Los Angeles, CA.
Guest Lecturer, (yearly; 2025-Present). “Understanding Trauma in Adolescents: Diagnosis, Symptoms, and Differential Assessment in School Settings.” UCLA Luskin School of Social Work, Los Angeles, CA.
Guest Speaker, (yearly; 2025-Present). “Trauma in Adolescence: Differential Diagnosis & Trauma-Informed Assessment.” Dangerfield Institute of Urban Problems (virtual).
Guest Speaker, (2025, October and May). “Trauma in Adolescence: Differential Diagnosis & Trauma-Informed Assessment.” Child, Adolescent & Family Programs, Maple Counseling Center (virtual).
Panel Speaker, (2025, May 31). “What Is Collective Healing? A Call to Allyship and Advocacy Within and Beyond the Latinx Community.” 19th Annual Latinx Conference: Behavioral Health, Advocacy, and Resilience in the Latinx Community, UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs, Los Angeles, CA.
Guest Speaker, (2024, October 12). “The Role of Nature in Healing Trauma in Emerging Adults.” National Association of Black Social Workers Greater LA Chapter Meeting (virtual).
Conference Speaker, (2024, August 17). “The Impact of Nature on Trauma Recovery in Emerging Adults.” Global Mental Health Conference, Sofia University, Palo Alto, CA.
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Peer Reviewer, Ecopsychology (Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.), 2025.
Reviewed manuscript titled “Growing Up with Family Trauma and Access to Natural Spaces” based on dissertation expertise in nature-based trauma recovery.
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Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (Evergreen Certifications), 2024
Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) – 40 hrs, USC/CHLA, 2024
FOCUS Resilience Curriculum Facilitator – 12 hrs, UCLA-NCCF, 2023
Second Step (K-5) Certified Instructor – Committee for Children, 2022
Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports (PBIS) Tier I/II Coach – LAUSD, 2022
HRV Biofeedback Foundations Workshop – 16 hrs, Saybrook University, 2024
HIPAA, Suicide Risk Assessment, & Mandated Child-Abuse Reporting – 15+ CE hrs (annual updates; details available on request)
CV of Failures
Because the story of success is incomplete without the story of trying.
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2022 — Sofia University | PhD in Transpersonal Psychology
Did not pass GPHD5130: Positive Psychology — Gratitude, Compassion, and Forgiveness. Subsequently retook the course.2016 — California State University, Los Angeles | Master of Social Work
Applied for admission to the MSW program for the 2017–2018 academic year. Not accepted. -
2026 — USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work
Applied and interviewed for a Teaching Faculty position for school social work corses; completed a full campus visit and job talk. Search suspended due to budget conditions.2024 — Los Angeles Unified School District | Black Student Achievement Plan (BSAP) Social Worker
Applied and interviewed for a BSAP Social Worker position. Not selected.2019 — Pacific Clinics | Community Mental Health Position, Monrovia, CA
Applied for a community mental health position. Not selected. -
No entries recorded yet.
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2024–2026 — Neurofeedback Training & Professional Mentorship | Southern California
Contacted four neurofeedback professionals seeking clinical training and mentorship opportunities. Met with three professionals in person and one virtually. Despite initial discussions, none of the mentorship opportunities materialized.
In 2016, Dr. Johannes Haushofer, then a professor of psychology and public affairs at Princeton University, gained international attention when he published an unconventional document titled CV of Failures. Unlike a traditional curriculum vitae, which highlights academic and professional achievements, Haushofer's document listed the graduate programs, academic positions, fellowships, research grants, and publications for which he had been rejected.
His intention was to draw attention to an often-overlooked reality: while professional accomplishments are highly visible, the failures and rejections that precede them rarely are. By making his setbacks public, Haushofer challenged the perception that successful individuals experience uninterrupted achievement.
The concept was originally inspired by neuroscientist Dr. Melanie I. Stefan, who proposed documenting academic rejections in a 2010 article published in Nature.
Inspired by this approach, I have chosen to share my own CV of Failures alongside my traditional CV. My hope is to offer a more transparent reflection of my professional and academic journey, recognizing that growth is shaped not only by opportunities received, but also by those that did not materialize.
Because the story of success is incomplete without the story of trying.