Acorn Psychology
Email: drdunn@acornpsych.com
Degree: PsyD
Bio: Dena Dena is a clinical psychologist, infant mental health specialist and child development consultant who owns Acorn Psychology, a private practice in Highland Park. Dena provides therapy, consultation, and professional development in the field of infant and early childhood mental health. Before moving to Pittsburgh, Dr. Dunn lived in Denver, Baltimore and Philadelphia where she held faculty positions and worked as a pediatric psychologist at the Children’s Hospital Colorado (CHCO), Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital, and most recently, the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP).
Dr. Dunn has extensive clinical, research, and program development experience in the field of Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health across the country. At CHCO, she developed a multidisciplinary breastfeeding management clinic called the “Trifecta for the Breastfeeding Infant,” and helped launch the Fussy Baby Network Colorado, while also working as a supervising psychologist for Project CLIMB (Consultation Liaison in Mental Health and Behavior) in a high-risk, urban pediatric residency-training clinic. Additionally, she worked as a research consultant in the Institute for Global Health developing a group care manual to provide infant and early childhood developmental guidance for mothers and babies in rural Guatemala. At CHOP, Dr. Dunn worked in the Feeding Center where she developed and ran the Fragile Feeders Clinic, providing support to infants with feeding difficulties, and she conducted developmental evaluations for infants born in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) as part of CHOP’s Neonatal Follow-up Program.
Description Practice Services: “Mighty oaks from little acorns grow.” I believe that promoting positive early caregiver-child relationships fosters healthy child development and results in happy, confident, and competent parents. Parenting does not come naturally to all caregivers and children do not come with instruction manuals. I offer individual therapy for adults and children, and work with young children (0-6) and families. I seek to serve those who have experienced pregnancy loss, aspiring parents on an infertility journey, adoptive families, and single parents-by-choice. I also offer child development consultations related to sleep, feeding, and fussiness in infancy.
– Format: Face-to-face, telephone, video
Group therapy:
Acorn Baby Groups: Weekly play and discussion groups for families of all kinds with new babies, ages 0-6 months. Groups offer experiential learning for parents, a space for babies to make their first friends, and are based on the latest research in child development and parenting education. Group themes may include exploring identity, friendships, relationships, self-care, parenting styles, sleep deprivation, and managing expectations.
– Format: Face-to-face, video
Professional Education: PsyD, University of Denver Graduate School of Professional Psychology; BA Child Development & Spanish, Tufts University
Office Address:5908 Bryant Street, Suite 3, Pittsburgh PA 15206
Office Location: Highland Park + Telehealth
Web Site: : www.acornpsych.com
Appointment Scheduling: drdunn@acornpsych.com or 412-342-8820
Office Hours: Weekday daytime
Insurances Accepted: UPMC, Highmark/BCBS, United Healthcare/Optum
Accept Medicare/Medicaid? No