Dawn James-Russell is a passionate mental health advocate and educator dedicated to fostering healing, empowerment, and positive change in the lives of individuals and communities. She holds a bachelors in English/History from Paul Quinn College, Dallas very only HBCU.

With dual master’s degrees—an M.A. in Marriage & Family Therapy and an M.S. in Human Relations & Business from Amberton University, Dawn brings a unique blend of clinical expertise and leadership experience to the workplace and client connection. Her motto is, “I was placed on this earth to affect change in other people’s lives.”

Her counseling philosophy, “Transitional Therapy,” focuses on healing emotional wounds at the core, breaking generational cycles, and creating a personalized pathway toward happiness. She is committed to providing compassionate, evidence-based care, ensuring her clients receive tailored therapeutic interventions to navigate life’s transitions successfully.

Dawn currently serves as a Counselor II at Greenhouse Treatment Center, where she provides individual and group therapy, crisis intervention, and treatment planning.

Beyond clinical counseling, Dawn has held executive leadership roles in human resources, employee relations, and organizational development over 20+ years. She was the Dual Director of Human Resources at Ernest Health, leading HR initiatives across two hospitals, and the Senior Director of People & Culture at J Legacy Group (Sylvan Learning), where she oversaw HR operations for 42 childcare and learning centers across six states. She also worked at Toyota Corporate as an Employee Relations Team Leader.

Her diverse experience in mental health care and corporate leadership underscores her commitment to client advocacy, holistic education, and person-centered wellness. Dawn continues to be a passionate voice for psychosocial and cultural awareness, ensuring individuals receive the guidance and support for healing, wholeness and happiness.

As a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) for Dallas County the last 6 years, she prides herself on advocating for those who need a voice after being abused, neglected and/or rejected. She is also a Board Member for Smile 4 Non-Profit, whose mission is to serve underprivileged, or overlooked individuals/entities in need of services.

Dawn is also an Amberton University Business Advisory Board member, giving her an opportunity to offer invaluable insight and feedback into business trends and resources needed for the University to stay competitive with comparable programs for enrollment purposes.