Hidden Gems: Meet Dana Cox of DreamCatchers Therapy Services

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dana Cox

Hi Dana, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I have always had a passion for helping others in terms of gaining greater independence or adapting things around them to meet / master a goal. I could not specifically explain that back in middle school, I just knew I was drawn to helping others who had a difficult time helping theirselves.

Fast forward through high school and more descriptions of my future career path surfaced. In addition to wanting to help others gain greater independence, I loved animals and children. I wanted to design my own business. I loved to understand how the brain and body worked. And I loved being outdoors close to nature and close to God.

When I began college, a Vet school wasn’t a close choice in proximity so I began learning about child psychology. During this time, I stumbled across the occupational therapy field in my journey. This was it!! The direction I was being led to finally had a name or label for what was always burning and driving me from the inside. Occupational Therapy! Moving forward in faith, I still pray that same prayer and I am still being led to do His calling.

I met my Dad at his favorite breakfast spot and told him the news of my God driven future endeavors! He listened quietly to my ramblings, while doodling on a skinny napkin. I noticed he hadn’t said much, which was unusual for him. So I asked if he was listening to anything I had just said. He looked up and pushed across the table a beautifully designed imperfect Dreamcatcher symbol. He said “You are following your dreams and will be helping others reach theirs. I am already proud of you.” I kept that imperfectly perfect Dreamcatcher napkin which started my Logo, branding and direction.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I have had many trials and tribulations getting to where I am. Steadfast to this day, I fall back on prayer and one in particularly that always provides the endurance and strength I need to continue on the path being designed by faith.

Through a move from my home and everyone I knew right after graduation and relocating with my husband’s career to Miami. I began my occupational therapy career in home health working with mostly Spanish speaking adults. I quickly realized that was not for me.I could speak a little Spanish but I was so southern that those sweet souls couldn’t understand me. My takeaway from that was to show up, a smile, compassion, and a gentle touch worked well.

Then I discovered Dolphin assisted therapy. Loved that experience but we soon relocated again back home. I couldn’t bring dolphins back to TN so I started training in the next best thing,….horses.

Getting back to TN, I started working in an outpatient pediatric clinic that I had interned under and took a second job in the local school system. Loved these settings but discovered so many children falling through the cracks, not getting services they desperately needed due to lack of resources, funding, or experienced staff.

I pulled out the wrinkled napkin I kept close by with that special designed dreamcatcher and prayed with it in my hand. My parents were going through a divorce the same time that I was, so many changes were coming at me during this time. With a prayer and a drive through the county with my Dad he found a beautiful piece of property that he would soon buy right outside of the city limits of Murfreesboro. I didn’t know it then, but 25 years later this would continue to be “my new forever home” and place of employment.

Gaining experience and building a business in the medical field has its challenges for everyone involved. Giving it to God and following with faith led me through many more trials and tribulations that would come as DreamCatchers Therapy opened its doors in 2004 to serve children with special needs through traditional occupational therapy services.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
DreamCatchers Therapy Service was established in 2004 to serve children (birth to 22 years of age) who have physical, emotional, developmental, and/or cognitive disabilities who need assistance in fine motor skills, visual-motor, visual perceptual processing, self help, social skills, and sensory integration deficits

The gravel drive towards DreamCatchers is nestled in a beautiful country setting just minutes from Murfreesboro off Franklin Highway. DreamCatchers Therapy Service is a unique outpatient setting that offers Occupational Therapy, Hippo-therapy (using the movement of a horse while performing activities that are meaningful to the client), and Aquatic Therapy in a multi-sensory approach.

DreamCatchers Therapy Services, Inc was founded by Dana Cox. With her great love of both children and animals, Dana has developed a mission that provides quality & affordable rehabilitation services to children in order to achieve personal goals of therapy in a client-family centered environment. Dana felt since Jesus was born in a barn, then a barn would be the perfect place to serve our children.

Inspired by that wrinkled imperfect perfectly designed, skinny napkin over a heartfelt conversation with my Dad, our logo came to life. Inspired by the legend of the “Dreamcatchers” emblem. Within the web-like patterns of the loop, maladaptive skills become tangled, while adaptive skills can pass through the web towards a more independent, purposeful quality of life.

The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
I learned through the COVID-19 Crisis that you can easily determine the caliber of a person by the amount of opposition it takes to discourage him/her. Being self employed, in the medical field, working with children and early intervention that practicing what I preached was my key to success. Pray. Be consistent. Do my research. Show up. Be flexile. Be creative. Show adaptability. Think outside of the box. Persevere.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.dreamcatcherstherapyservices.org
• Facebook: Dreamcatchers Therapy