Back in the early 2000s, Julianne Dunn was working as a deejay and suddenly found herself laid off. Shortly after, a relative turned to her at a family dinner and said, “I don't know why you're not in counseling.”

It got Dunn thinking. She had taken women's studies and child development and family systems classes during her undergraduate studies. “I was very drawn to those,” she says. “They just seemed to really resonate with me.”

Within months, Dunn was enrolled in graduate school and eventually received her Master of Science in addictions counseling. “I really am kind of a co-occurring disorder counselor, having a specialty in addictions counseling but then also understanding the treatment and therapy for other mental health disorders,” she explains.

Outside of work, Dunn is a mother of three (she has two school-aged children and an adult daughter) and has a number of hobbies, including singing. She recently sang at a friend’s wedding and does occasional open mic nights as well as integrates music into her therapy sessions when appropriate. She and her husband are also big fans of eighties hair metal bands; their first date was a Mötley Crüe concert. Dunn also recently received her black belt in Taekwondo, another activity she shares with her husband.

Dunn has been with Happier Living for three years and feels very supported by both the administrative staff and her co-workers. She is very happy with the work-life balance working for Happier Living has allowed her to achieve. 

“It’s just such a supportive environment that I feel really freed up to be able to do what it is I'm here to do: help people.”

‍