Dee-Dee Stout holds degrees in Business Management, from Northwood University, Psychology, Human Sexuality and a self-designed interdisciplinary Master’s degree in Health Counseling for Special Populations all from San Francisco State University.

For nearly 25 years, Dee-Dee has been a member of the international Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT) & is a founding member of the California Association of Harm Reduction Therapists (CAHRT; www.harmreductiontherapy.com).  Dee-Dee has been on faculty at several Bay Area colleges and universities over the past 35 years. Currently, she is Adjunct Associate Professor at St. Mary’s College (Moraga, CA), teaching courses in Motivational Interviewing (MI), trauma-informed work, and substance use disorders using harm reduction psychotherapy strategies.  Dee-Dee has maintained a private practice serving individuals, couples, & families around addictions for close to 40 years. She specializes in helping folx examine their relationship to substances & to each other. Utilizing aspects of evidence-based practices such as harm reduction psychotherapy, MI, Emotionally Focused Family Therapy (EFFT), and more, Dee-Dee teaches families/couples ways to better communicate and connect to their loved ones who use substances. Finally, Dee-Dee offers Family Coaching, focusing on practical communication strategies such as deep listening and positive reinforcement to help all members communicate more effectively and encourage deeper understanding & compassion towards each other.

Dee-Dee has conducted more than 1000 workshops & trainings around the country in client-centered approaches such as MI, Harm Reduction Psychotherapy, and Solution Focused Therapy, and has keynoted many conferences and special events including a Moms for All Paths retreat in Solvang, CA, in 2019 and New Hampshire’s SOS RICH conference in 2024. She has received specialized training/certification in more than 13 other client-centered approaches including Emotionally Focused Family Therapy (EFFT), Tapping, and Brainspotting.  Well-known for bringing her openness & wicked sense of humor to all settings, the second edition of her ground-breaking book, “Coming to Harm Reduction Kicking & Screaming: Stories of Radically Loving People Who Use Drugs” recently dropped & is already receiving numerous positive reviews.  Her original book remains a seminal work influencing people who use drugs and addiction professionals on how to bridge the gap between 12-Step and harm reduction.