Dr. Dominique Walker

Dominique Walker (she/her) is a Doctoral Candidate at Syracuse University in Marriage and Family therapy. Dominique has seven years of experience in marriage and family therapy seeing children (4+), adolescents, and adults from diverse backgrounds. Additionally, she has four years of experience as a Pediatric Mental Health Specialist at Seattle Children’s Hospital, where she worked with children, adolescents and their families who were receiving inpatient psychiatric treatment.

Dominique practices from a Narrative Family Therapy and Contextual lens where she believes that difficulties arise within couples and families when a narrative has been developed that keeps them stuck in unhelpful patterns. In therapy, families and partners can come together to collaboratively resolve problems through reframing them as something that is separate from who they are as individuals. This non-blaming approach allows for empathy and understanding of one another and helps move the family to a space of healing and change. Through her integration of a Contextual therapy approach, Dominique also believes people seek fairness and reciprocity in their relationships. Relationships work best when there is give and take and when the giving is being received in the relationship. Therapy provides a space for family members and partners to feel seen, heard and validated which works to build trust and foster a healthy dialogue. She uses a collaborative approach as she believes that people are the experts on their lives and already possess the tools and skills they need to work through their challenges. They just need a little extra support in learning how to use those tools and skills.

Dominique specializes in treating mood disorders and anxiety, adolescent issues, perfectionism, life transitions or adjustment disorders, family and couple conflict, child and adolescent behavioral issues, parenting concerns, self-esteem, trauma, racial identity, and racial trauma. Dominique is passionate about working with families of marginalized backgrounds. During her doctoral program she has provided therapeutic services with the Southwest Connections Center located in Syracuse, NY where she predominately served African American couples and families. Dominique has also collaborated with families at various Heads Start programs to provide therapeutic services to low-income families and their children. She is also experienced in working with refugee families. Dominique has trained and worked in many diverse settings including the Syracuse University Couple and Family Mental Health Clinic, community mental health centers, a psychiatric inpatient unit at Seattle Children’s Hospital, and a high school.