Dr. Dionne Bates-SOREN LIT 2022
SOREN LIT: www.sorenlit.com
D. Dionne Bates, PhD, LPC, CPCS is a licensed professional counselor in private
practice who holds a B.A. in Sociology (with emphasis in deviant behavior), an M.A. in
Counseling Psychology, and a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology. In clinical practice almost 20 years,
Dr. Bates has observed that the root of many individuals’ emotional and psychological distress is
their inability to integrate their “true” selves into various realms of their lives. The author of the
Self-SOULstice Model of Affirmation, Dr. Bates works with her clients to help them reach
optimal mental health by affirming self, affirming others, and living authentically.
From 2010-2015 Dr. Bates was an Educational Psychologist at Georgia Southern
University’s (GSU) Counseling Center where she had responsibility for the students’ mental
health needs as well as providing education and support to faculty and staff. She also served as
SAFE SPACE Coordinator and represented the Counseling Center on the university’s
Professional Development Council. Dr. Bates taught graduate studies, serving as adjunct
professor in GSU’s College of Education and Alabama A&M University’s Department of
Psychology and Counseling. The owner of Self-SOULstice, LLC in Marietta, Georgia, she
provides a range of psychotherapeutic, supervision, and consultative services, including serving
as Senior Mental Health Advisor for the Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective
(BEAM). Dr. Bates has participated in discussions on human sexuality and sexual health with
first year Emory University medical students. Her research has included identity development,
LGBT issues, and a stage model of affirming self and others. Her writings have been featured in
the Atlanta Tribune, Blavity.com, Your Tango, Dailyworth and numerous in regional, national,
and international newspapers and academic journals.
SOREN LIT: www.sorenlit.com
SOREN LIT editor and producer: Melodie J. Rodgers, MFA
