About It Begins Within Therapy
Trusted St. petersburg, sarasota & Tampa Mental Health counselors
IBW is a private therapy practice made up of highly specialized and skilled therapists utilizing research-based, cutting-edge therapeutic approaches.
Welcome to It Begins Within, the local resource for compassionate and evidence-based therapists in Tampa, St. Petersburg, and the Sarasota area. Our team of licensed therapists offers individual counseling for adults, children and teens, couples counseling (including marriage therapy, prematerial counseling and discernment therapy), and family therapy.
We understand that seeking therapy can be a courageous first step, and we’re committed to providing a safe, welcoming space where healing can begin. Whether you're searching for healing from a significant past trauma, generalized anxiety and depression, healing from grief and loss, or reigniting lost passion in your relationship - we offer a home for specialized clinicians that focus in many of the most common challenges individuals in our community face.
“I use a strengths-based approach with clients. We all have innate strengths and I believe using these strengths to help clients heal is the key to the best mental health outcome.”
Who We Serve
Our clients include professional athletes, high-achieving individuals and executives, couples, parents, and children seeking personalized mental health support in Tampa, St. Petersburg & Sarasota, Florida. We specialize in:
Individual Counseling for:
Women’s issue & men’s issue
Anxiety
Depression
Trauma & PTSD (Including ART & EMDR Therapy)
Grief, loss and bereavement
ADHD & ADD
OCD & Perfectionism
Self-esteem
Sports & performance psychology
Life transitions & existential
Psychological assessments
Psychiatric evaluations & medication management
Therapy for Children (ages 2.5 to 12)
Play therapy
Childhood trauma (including TF-CBT & EMDR Therapy for kids)
ADHD & Focus
Divorce, separation and adjustment to big life changes
School refusal & separation anxiety
ODD
Psychological assessments
Psychiatric evaluations & medication management
Therapy for Teens (ages 13 to 17)
Anxiety, depression and self-harm
Self-esteem, identity & social pressure
Trauma & PTSD
ADHD & Executive functioning
Emotional regulation
Family conflict and communication
Psychological assessments
Psychiatric evaluations & medication management
Couples & Marriage Counseling
Marriage counseling & Couples therapy utilizing the Gottman Method and Emotionally Focused Therapy
Infidelity & affair recovery
Intensive couples counseling
Intensive couples counseling retreats
Discernment counseling
Prematerial counseling
Communication, conflict & trust repair
Intimacy & sex therapy
Serving Hillsborough and Pinellas counties, we focus on behavioral health in Tampa with a strengths-based approach to empower individuals with practical tools for lasting, positive change.
Our Mission for Counseling
Our mission at It Begins Within Therapy is to provide the highest quality counseling services to couples, families, adults, children and teens across the St. Petersburg, Tampa Bay & Sarasota areas. Our approach is simple - bring the most talented team of therapists together, support them in continuing to become the best clinicians they are capable of becoming, and allow them to practice exclusively within the specialization and areas of direct expertise they are passionate about working with. The result is setting the standard for quality in mental healthcare within the communities we serve.
1 out of every 100 clinicians who apply to IBW are selected by our founder, Dr. Mary Perleoni to join our team. Our counselors use a strengths-based approach with clients. Our belief is that everyone has innate strengths, and implementing their strengths into the therapeutic process will help clients heal. We choose this approach over forcing clients to fit into therapeutic techniques that may not result in positive outcomes for them.
Meet Our Therapists
It Begins Within is home to 30+ specialized providers across Tampa, St. Petersburg & Sarasota.
Dr. Mary Perleoni, LMHC
Mary is the founder of IBW & practices in our St. Petersburg location.
Dr. Alex Castañeda, LMHC
Alex practices in our Tampa location.
Chelsea Walker, LMFT
Chelsea practices in our Sarasota location.
Our Therapy Offices
Office location
hours of operations
Mon - Sun 8:30am - 8:30pm
*By appointment only
Office location
Office location
Psychological Testing and Evaluations
When therapy alone does not answer the underlying question, a formal evaluation provides the clarity families need. At It Begins Within Healing Center, psychological testing and evaluations are led by Dr. Christine Pickering, a licensed psychologist in the state of Florida (PY8409) with a doctorate from the University of Florida and more than 17 years of clinical practice. Dr. Pickering holds triple credentialing as a Licensed Psychologist, a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, and a Nationally Certified School Psychologist, a combination that allows her to integrate cognitive, behavioral, and educational data into one clear, defensible interpretive report
Psychology Services Provided in Tampa
Gifted Testing
Adult & Child ADHD Evaluations
Adult & Child Autism Evaluation
Comprehensive Psychoeducational Evaluation
FAQ
My last mental health counselor IN TAMPA did not help me. How will working with IBW be any different?
We are committed to providing quality mental health therapy for our clients. So many people stay in “unhelpful” therapeutic relationships and lose hope because they are not getting better. Our clients are treated by qualified and trained professionals that will put committed effort into their healing.
What is individual counseling and how can it help me?
Individual counseling provides one-on-one support with a licensed therapist to address personal challenges like anxiety, depression, trauma, or life transitions. It’s a confidential space to explore your emotions and develop coping strategies tailored to your needs.
What types of women’s therapy do you offer?
We offer women’s therapy focusing on anxiety, postpartum support, relationship challenges, identity shifts, and self-esteem. Our licensed female therapists provide compassionate, personalized care for women at every stage of life.
I’m looking for a therapist near me, what should I do?
We encourage anyone seeking a new therapist in Tampa, St. Petersburg, or Sarasota to set up a consultation with an experienced counselor. At IBW, we offer free consultations - we welcome you to meet our team.
do you offer virtual therapy and in person therapy near me?
Yes, we offer both in-person therapy in Tampa & St. Petersburg, as well as virtual therapy or teletherapy for those across Florida. There are certain challenges our clients face which we may strongly encourage services be delivered in-person, but we welcome you to call us to learn more and explore which option may be right for you.
ARE same day therapy SESSIONS available in Tampa?
Yes, many of our therapists offer same day or next day appointments to help you start your healing journey without delay. Contact us to check availability and schedule your session quickly.
How do I find a depression and anxiety therapist near me?
Choose a therapist with experience in anxiety disorders who uses proven methods such as CBT, exposure therapy, or EMDR. Local Tampa therapists often provide personalized treatment plans to reduce anxiety symptoms effectively.
Good Faith Estimate
As a client, you will have the right to receive a “good faith estimate” explaining how much your medical care will cost.
Under the law, health care providers need to give patients who don’t have insurance or who are not using insurance an estimate of the bill for medical items and services.
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You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any non-emergency items or services. This includes related costs like medical tests, prescription drugs, equipment, hospital fees, and mental health services.
You can ask your health care provider, and any other provider you choose, for a Good Faith Estimate before you schedule an appointment.
If you receive a bill that is at least $400 more than your Good Faith Estimate, you can dispute the bill (please note, while this is the law, this is not applicable to our practice as our estimate is only for each session since we are unable to predict the length of therapy).
Make sure to save a copy or picture of your Good Faith Estimate.
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You will receive a Good Faith Estimate through the client portal with your intake paperwork at the time of scheduling an appointment. If at anytime during treatment you like to request another Good Faith Estimate, please contact us. A Good Faith estimate will be emailed to you within 24 hours.
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Our standard sessions at It Begins Within are 60 minutes, and are offered at $165 for individual counseling and $225 for couples counseling.
For more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate, visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises or call (800) 368-1019
Ready to make a change?
Take the courageous first step toward healing with Tampa’s trusted mental health therapists. Schedule your session today and experience personalized counseling tailored to your needs, right here in Florida.