Dawn E. Shedrick, LCSW
Dawn E. Shedrick, LCSW

A Bit More About Me + My Purpose Work


A little bit about Moi

I’m a mermaid, Pisces, ENFJ, knitter, bookworm, nerd, dog mom, witch, good listener (and so much more) who brings my full self to my work.

My work is rooted in 27+ years of experience as a Black queer feminist clinical social worker; educator; life and business coach, ordained interfaith minister, certified aromatherapist, and healer. My company, JenTex Training and Consulting, provides leadership development coaching, organization development consulting, and continuing education training for social workers.  

As an educator I am an adjunct lecturer at the Columbia University School of Social Work where I: 

  • am an inaugural recipient of the Steven P. Schinke Teaching Innovation Award

  •  co-authored a chapter in the open source digital book Designing Engaging and Interactive Synchronous Online Class Sessions along with my amazing colleagues.

  • teach courses on power/race/oppression/privilege; the health care system and health equity; and gender and sexuality

Keep scrolling to learn how I marry my education and experience to my new focus on family caregiving

“Love is a combination of care, commitment, knowledge, responsibility, respect and trust.”
— bell hooks

Content Creator…

I'm on a mission to ensure that all caregivers – inclusive of all identities and cultures – know you are not alone, that your stories matter, and that you can thrive while caregiving.

Through my work as a speaker, facilitator and author, I provide resources and insights to help diverse caregivers better manage their mental health.

As a Black queer lesbian who is caring for my mother who lives with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), I also know what it’s like not to have your unique experiences recognized or not to have support, resources, or an inclusive narrative that keep you in mind.

CareGiving Content I Create:

  • ”Courageous Contemplation: A Guided Journal for Family CareGivers of Chronically Ill, Disabled, and Elderly Loved Ones” to be published Spring 2023!

  • A YouTube channel for and about the diverse community of family caregivers (launching Spring 2023)

  • A LinkedIn newsletter for caregivers and the helping professionals who support them

  • Writing and speaking in various media outlets

“Let us be reminded that before there is a final solution, there must be a first solution, a second one, even a third. The move toward a final solution is not a jump. It takes one step, then another, then another”
— Toni Morrison

Consultant and Trainer…

Through my content creation, consulting, training and advocacy for caregivers, I aim to:

  • Counter the invisibility of diverse caregivers

  • Teach caregivers how to thrive while caregiving – physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually

  • Design and deliver workshops to help professionals develop skills necessary to support caregivers

  • Help companies create workplace cultures and inclusive policies that consider, support and understand caregivers within their organization

My topical areas of specialization include:

  • caregiving: stress, burnout, self-care, and workplace wellness

  • trauma and trauma-informed approaches

  • LGBTQ issues: how we can create spaces for us to thrive

  • health and mental health equity: let’s ensure marginalized people can live well and thrive

a selection of my Continuing Education Training clients

a selection of my Corporate Mental and Emotional workplace Wellness and LGBTQ inclusion clients

 Click the handy dandy button below to contact me. Let’s chat about how I can support you.