Get to know us

I was born and raised in Argentina, in a humble but close-knit family. The men in my family struggled with addiction, yet I was fortunate to receive a strong education and unwavering support from my teachers and community. Their belief in me became the foundation for my lifelong dedication to growth, healing, and service.

In Argentina, I built a meaningful career as a physical education teacher, swimming instructor, and wellness coach. My work with children and adults is centered on cultivating a love for movement and trust in the body’s innate capacity to heal. I witnessed how physical activity could restore confidence, connection, and emotional balance—principles that would later shape my clinical philosophy.

With the same community support that carried me through childhood and fueled by my own determination to overcome adversity, I became a triathlete. Training and competing taught me the discipline of perseverance, the humility of endurance, and the deep belief that transformation begins with consistency and faith. That experience became a lasting foundation for believing in myself, especially during later times in life when hope seemed to fade.

At the age of forty-one, seeking equity, opportunity, and the fulfillment of long-held dreams, I made the courageous decision to move to the United States. Arriving with limited financial means but an abundance of determination, I was guided—by what I can only describe as divine fortune—to complete a master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling. This achievement, born from perseverance and faith, opened the door to the next chapter of my life’s purpose.

Over the past eleven years, I have dedicated my professional life to help individuals and families overcome trauma, achieve emotional balance, and recover from addiction. My work has been deeply rooted in community mental health, with a special focus on serving the Spanish- speaking population. I believe that healing is both personal and collective—that it thrives when people feel seen, heard, and supported in culturally responsive ways.

My clinical training includes Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), HeartMath, Focused Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (FACT), and Clinical Hypnosis. I also draw from systemic and multigenerational family frameworks that honor the complex interplay between individual experience, family dynamics, and social context. My approach integrates evidence-based modalities with compassionate presence, aiming not only to reduce suffering but to help clients reconnect with their innate strength and purpose.

Throughout my journey—from the modest neighborhoods of Argentina to the therapy rooms of Oregon—I have held close the belief that transformation begins with connection: to one’s body, one’s story, and one’s community. Each person’s resilience is sacred, and my mission as a clinician is to help individuals rediscover that resilience within themselves.

Today, as a bilingual counselor and educator, I continue to serve with the same passion that first moved me to teach children to swim—to trust the water, to trust their breath, to trust life. My story is one of gratitude: gratitude for the mentors who guided me, the challenges that refined me, and the communities that welcomed me. Above all, it is a story of faith in human potential—the unwavering conviction that healing is possible, one relationship, one breath, and one act of courage at a time.

Dori H. Best

Licenced Professional Counselor
Master of Science
Certified Alcohol & Drug Counselor II

[email protected]