WASHINGTON (DC News Now) – Access to mental health resources is a concern across the country, and Dominique Thornton is among those in the DMV working to ensure people are able to get the services they need to address burnout, their emotional well-being, and more.
Because of her efforts to redefine how communities move from awareness to action when it comes to mental health, DC News Now is proud to recognize Thornton as its 2026 Remarkable Women winner.
The founder of Flow Therapy, a Maryland-based mental health counseling practice, centers her model of care that centers around equity, accessibility, and real-world impact for people and families who are underserved.
Within the first year of establishing her practice, Thornton provided more than $15,000 worth of therapy sessions to community members, who might not have had access to care, at no charge.
Thornton prioritizes children, teenagers, young adults, and communities of color navigating trauma, anxiety, depression, and systemic barriers to wellness. She intentionally allows clients to come as they are, helping to create a therapeutic environment in which bonnets, pajamas, and arriving with dinner in hand are not judged.
Dominique Thornton, CEO and lead clinician of Flow Therapy, was chosen as DC News Now’s Remarkable Women winner. (DC News Now)
Outside of her clinical work, Thornton created Mental Self-Care Day. The large-scale community wellness initiative is designed to encourage people to move beyond awareness of mental health and adopt an action-oriented approach to mental wellness. Her initiative received recognition across Maryland, including an official proclamation from Gov. Wes Moore.
Thornton works to combat racial injustice, has partnered with police chiefs to support policing reform, advised Maryland state representatives on mental health policy, contributed to U.S. Capitol conferences focused on racial injustice, and helped establish a minority law fellowship program aimed at increasing equity and representation.
As Miss Maryland United States 2019, Thornton used her platform to advance a mental health and social justice agenda.
She has conducted more than 60 mental health workshops and presentations, raised thousands of dollars for mental health nonprofit groups, and published three self-help books. Other recognition Thornton received include Baltimore Business Journal’s Top 40 Under 40 and The Daily Record’s Leading Women Award.
Thornton is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University’s Clinical Mental Health Counseling M.S. program and holds a B.S. in Sociology from Delaware State University. Thornton’s academic leadership includes induction into Chi Sigma Iota and the National Society of Leadership and Success, along with active membership in the American Counseling Association and Maryland Counseling Association. Professionally, she has served as a mental health clinician at The Children’s Guild, a crisis counselor at SJH, and an intellectual disability professional at Community Residences Inc. Thornton also has worked with organizations such as the Asian-American Justice Center and VENG Group, which provided services for high-profile clients including Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.
As DC News Now’s Remarkable Woman for 2026, Thornton received $1,000 to be donated to a nonprofit organization of her choice. Thornton designated Black People Die by Suicide Too as the recipient of the money. The group, which has a vision to end death by suicide in the Black community, provides education and resources to Black people suffering from mental health conditions.
Additionally, Thornton will head to Nashville, Tenn. for the opportunity to be named Nexstar’s 2026 Remarkable Woman of the Year.
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