Welcome!

My name is Dr. Dale Sheffield and I am a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor Supervisor and a National Certified Counselor who specializes in individual psychotherapy with adults, couples, parents, and counselor supervision.

My goal is to help people attain problem resolution, personal growth, and self understanding by providing a comfortable, non-threatening setting where thoughts, feelings, and behaviors can be explored and understood.

Please feel free to look through my site to find information about about my practice and the range of conditions I treat.

In-person and telehealth sessions are available.

Affirmative Parenting

Childrearing can be a daunting experience, with rules to learn, decisions to make, and dangers to avoid. And there are always well-meaning grandparents, aunts and uncles, and even complete strangers who are ready to tell you what to do!

When it comes to discipline and guidance, you may be torn between taking an approach that’s “hands-off” or one that focuses on strict discipline. Sometimes you’ll find yourself veering back and forth between the two, and then asking yourself if you’re doing the right thing.

Your choices may be influenced by your experiences as a child. You may wish to replicate the conditions under which you were raised by your parents or caregivers, or, like the author, you may hope to avoid the approach used on you when you were a child, and find a new way forward for your own family.

The goal of Affirmative Parenting is to make your job easier and more enjoyable. It’s not intended to intimidate you with endless theories and dire warnings about all the things that could go wrong between birth and your child’s entrance into adulthood. It’s designed to provide a positive set of directions based on simple common sense.

Above all, as the title suggests, the book offers an approach based on positive reinforcement of good behavior rather than excessive punishment for bad behavior or mistakes. All human beings, including children, want to know the way forward. They want to learn how to succeed and how to lead a happy life. While the occasional “course correction” is inevitable, the book encourages parents to act as guides for their children, rewarding them for accomplishments, suggesting new goals, and supporting exploration and self-discovery.

You’ll discover that you’ll get better results by saying, “Yes, do this!” rather than, “No, don’t do that.”

Affirmative Parenting shows why it’s important to create an autonomous environment, which is a space for your child to make many of their own decisions while keeping clear boundaries. It’s your job to balance safety and freedom, so that your child has the opportunity to explore both physically and creatively while always having a safe “home base” to return to.

Your child will test you to see your reaction to pushing the limits. If you tell your child to never write on the walls, you can be sure that very soon your child will, in full view of you, stand next to the wall, crayon in hand, looking you in the eye. This is a test to see how you’ll respond, and with the help of this book, you’ll handle the situation with grace and good spirits.

As your child grows from a baby to a young adult, Affirmative Parenting is your indispensable guide, helping you to set your child on the path to success in life.

Affirmative Parenting is now available for purchase on Amazon in print and eBook formats.

Education

Post Doctoral Training
Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy Study Center of North Carolina
September 1999 March 2003
Theoretical Emphasis: Self & Ego Psychology, Object Relations, Supportive Psychotherapy, Developmental Psychology

Doctoral Degree - Ph.D.
North Carolina State University - Department of Counselor Education
August 1996 to May 1999
Theoretical Emphasis: Cognitive Behavioral and Diagnostic Testing

Master's Degree - M.Ed.
University of North Carolina at Greensboro - Department of Counselor Education
January 1991 to May 1992
Theoretical Emphasis: Family Systems, Person Centered, and Child Development

Bachelor's Degree- B.A.
University of North Carolina at Greensboro - Department of Psychology
August 1983 to May 1987
Theoretical Emphasis: Behavioral and Child Development

Internship - Diagnostic Testing, Group Therapy
Vance, Granville, Franklin, Warren County Mental Health Center
August 1998 to April 1999

Internship - Adult Psychotherapy
Guilford County Mental Health Center
August 1991 to April 1992

Licenses & Certifications
• Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor Supervisor
   February 2011 to Present
• Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor
   July 1995 to Present
• National Certified Counselor
   April 1992 to Present

Professional Memberships
• American Counseling Association
• American Mental Health Counselors Association
• Licensed Clinical Counselors of North Carolina











Experience

Private Practice
Individual Psychotherapy with Adults, Parents, Couples, Counselor Supervision
August 2023 to Present

Private Practice

Individual Psychotherapy with Adults, Adolescents, Children, Parents, Couples, Families, Counselor Supervision
February 2011  to August 2023

Private Practice
Individual Psychotherapy with Adults, Couples Counseling
January 2009 to February 2011

Private Practice
Psychotherapy with Adults, Adolescents, and Children, Couples and Family Counseling, Diagnostic Testing, Counselor Supervision
May 1999 to December 2008

Human Services Clinical Counselor
Vance, Granville, Franklin, Warren County Mental Health Center, Diagnostic Testing with Adolescents and Children
January 2000 to May 2000


Clinical Specialist II
Guilford County Mental Health Center, Psychotherapy with Adults, Group Therapy, DBT Team, CISD Team
March 1994 to August 1996

Social Worker III

Davidson County Mental Health Center, Psychotherapy with Adolescents and Children, Parent Support, Group Therapy
August 1993 to March 1994

Domestic Violence Therapist

Family Services of the Piedmont, Psychotherapy with Adults, Adolescents, and Children, Couples & Family Therapy, Group Therapy
July 1992 to August 1993

Published Author

• The Journal of Humanistic Education and    Development
• Professional School Counseling
• Hacettepe University Journal of Education







Theoretical Perspective

I use an eclectic approach based on the following models:

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
• Parent Support
• Person-Centered Therapy
• Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy
• Mindfulness Therapy
• Supportive Psychotherapy
• Exposure Therapy

Conditions Treated

• Adults ages 18 and older
• Abuse Victims - both past and present    (Emotional/Verbal, Physical, Sexual)
Addiction
• ADHD
• Adjustment Disorders
• Anger
• Anxiety Disorders
• Bipolar Disorder
• Depression
• Eating Disorders
• Grief & Mourning
• Learning Disabilities
• Life Decisions (Career, Education, Relationships, etc.)
OCD
PTSD
• Relationship Problems
• Self-Criticism, Self-Doubt, Self-Esteem
• Self-Punishing Thoughts, Feelings & Behaviors    (Burning, Cutting, etc.)
Somatoform Disorders
• Stress
• Suicidal Ideation
• Trauma Victims - both past and present
• Trichotillomania
• Other Concerns


Location

Williamsburg Commons
3718 Benson Dr.
Raleigh, NC 27609

My office is conveniently located in Raleigh, just north of the Beltline, in the Williamsburg Commons Office Park.

From the I-440 Beltline:Take Wake Forest Road one-half mile north , turn left on Dresser Court, turn right on to Benson Drive, the Williamsburg Commons office complex is the second entrance on the right. Turn left and follow the road to the back of the complex, 3718 is the building on the left. My office is located on the 2nd floor.

Contact

Office: (919) 431-9444
Mobile: (919) 630-6408
Fax: (919) 431-9124
E-mail: [email protected]