Get to Know Dalziel Reliford-Stone, LPCC-S (She|Her)

Photograph of Dalziel Reliford-Stone sitting in her car and smiling. She is wearing a gray patterned top.

Crisis Response Coordinator| Embedded Counselor, College-Conservatory of Music 

Dalziel “Ms. D” Reliford-Stone is an LPCC-S embedded clinician in the College-Conservatory of Music (CCM).

In addition to her M.A. in Counseling, she holds a B.A. degree in English and is also a seminary graduate. As a former board-certified chaplain, she developed skills in death, dying, grief, bereavement, and end of life issues. Always curious about religion and spirituality, Dalziel is interested in spiritual and religious expressions and how people relate those from a mental health perspective.

She worked as a school-based therapist and was an embedded nursing home clinician specializing in substance abuse, depression, anxiety, and advocacy. As the embedded clinician for CCM, Dalziel hopes to work with students and staff to embrace authenticity, self-acceptance, wholeness, and to address systemic barriers to success.

Dalziel’s has an integrated therapeutic approach to meet people where they are by focusing on the therapeutic relationship. Dalziel’s primary goal is to provide a safe place for validation, affirmation, and acceptance. Drawing from humanist, feminist, and multicultural theories, her goal is to empower each client to live their authentic truth. Dalziel views herself as an encourager and promoter of students in pursuit of the best version of themselves.

Why did I become a counselor: I became a counselor because I wanted to create a non-judgmental, non-anxious, safe, and confidential place for those in distress to fully express themselves. I wanted to validate and affirm people’s feelings without imparting my own biases or expectations.

My favorite movie about mental health and why: "Nuts" with Barbra Streisand is my favorite movie about mental health because often, there is a root cause for maladaptive expression. I enjoy processing how and why people do what they do to get their needs met.

What I do to take care of myself after a challenging day/time/situation: I am an avid lover of music. My favorite genres are Gospel, Jazz, R&B and Reggae. I like to watch movies and television shows. I enjoy spending time with friends. Ultimately, I enjoy spending time with my husband and my two children. We love embarking on a Stone Family Adventure! It is a major plus when off-roading is involved.

Coping skills I recommend to clients that I use myself: Laughter, deep breathing, positive self-talk (you can do this), and being authentic; being willing to weigh the pros and cons of relationships and evaluating how the relationship affects one’s thoughts and feelings about themselves.