Mary Perleoni, Ph.D., LMHC
Specializing in couples therapy, infidelity counseling, and trauma therapy
Licensed Mental Health Counselor & Founder of IBWHC
Advanced training in Gottman Method Couples Therapy, Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), and Discernment Counseling
About Mary
Dr. Mary Perleoni is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, National Certified Counselor, and founder of It Begins Within Healing Center. She specializes in helping couples navigate some of life's most painful and defining moments, including infidelity, infertility, and the difficult crossroads where discernment therapy becomes essential. Her approach is grounded in compassion, guided by research-based practices, and rooted in deep clinical expertise. With advanced training in Gottman Method Couples Therapy, Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and trauma-informed care, Dr. Perleoni helps couples rebuild trust, process pain, and make confident decisions about their future together or apart. She creates a safe, non-judgmental environment where both partners feel heard, supported, and guided toward meaningful, lasting change.
Credentials & Education
Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) — Florida | License #MH20516
National Certified Counselor (NCC)
Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision from the University of Central Florida
Advanced training in Gottman Method Couples Therapy
Specialized training in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)
Published researcher in trauma-informed care
Who Dr. Perleoni Supports
Couples navigating infidelity and betrayal — rebuilding trust, processing the pain of betrayal, and deciding whether to repair the relationship or separate with clarity and dignity
Couples facing infertility challenges — processing grief, managing stress, and strengthening connection while navigating the emotional toll of infertility
Couples at a crossroads needing discernment counseling — gaining clarity about the future of the relationship, reducing conflict, and making empowered decisions about staying together or separating
Couples experiencing communication breakdowns — addressing patterns that create distance, improving intimacy, and restoring emotional safety
Individuals and couples processing trauma — working through past experiences that shape current relationship patterns and emotional responses
Couples seeking intensive therapy — participating in focused, immersive experiences designed to create meaningful breakthroughs in a condensed timeframe through both marriage intensives and couples retreats.
Clients value Dr. Perleoni's clinical expertise, compassionate presence, and ability to guide them through profound pain toward hope, clarity, and connection.
Dr. Perleoni's Approach to Therapy
Mary integrates research-based therapeutic models with a holistic, trauma-informed approach. Her sessions are intentional and designed to foster insight, healing, and sustainable change.
She focuses on:
Helping couples rebuild trust and intimacy after infidelity using Gottman Method Couples Therapy — addressing betrayal with evidence-based interventions focused on repair and restoration
Supporting couples through the emotional complexity of infertility — creating a safe space to process grief, reduce stress, and maintain connection during profound uncertainty
Providing discernment counseling for couples questioning their future — offering structured guidance to gain clarity, reduce ambivalence, and make confident decisions about the relationship
Addressing trauma and its impact on relationships using trauma-informed care — helping clients recognize how past experiences shape current patterns and heal underlying wounds
Integrating Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Gestalt Therapy, and mindfulness — building present-moment awareness, challenging unhelpful thought patterns, and fostering emotional regulation
Offering Couples Intensives for immersive, focused therapy — providing concentrated therapeutic experiences for couples navigating infidelity or discernment who need deeper work in a shorter timeframe
What Dr. Perleoni Helps Clients With
Dr. Perleoni supports Tampa individuals, couples, and families experiencing:
Infidelity and trust repair
Infertility and reproductive challenges
Relationship discernment and decision-making
Communication breakdowns and emotional disconnection
Trauma and its impact on relationships
Intimacy and emotional connection issues
Betrayal trauma and recovery
Couples conflict and recurring patterns
Dr. Perleoni's Background & Training
Dr. Perleoni brings extensive clinical experience, advanced academic training, and a deep commitment to trauma-informed, research-based care.
Her professional experience includes:
Founding and leading It Begins Within Healing Center with a mission to provide specialized, high-quality mental health care across the lifespan
Working in agencies specializing in trauma treatment and borderline personality disorder
Serving as a professor in New York City and Florida, teaching master's students in Marriage and Family Therapy, Mental Health Counseling, and School Counseling
Conducting research and publishing articles on trauma-informed care and therapy for children in poverty
Her advanced training and expertise include:
Gottman Method Couples Therapy for communication, conflict resolution, and intimacy building
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for thought pattern restructuring and behavior change
Gestalt Therapy and mindfulness-based interventions for present-moment awareness and emotional regulation
Trauma-informed care grounded in published research and clinical expertise
Couples Intensives designed for immersive, breakthrough-focused therapy
A Message From Dr. Perleoni
"Clients often come to me feeling uncertain, disconnected, or overwhelmed by challenges they never expected to face. My goal is not quick fixes, but meaningful, lasting change—helping you move from pain toward hope, clarity, and connection. You don't have to navigate this alone."
Ready to work with Dr. Perleoni?
We invite you to schedule a FREE CONSULTATION with us to begin your healing journey.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is discernment counseling and how is it different from couples therapy?
Discernment counseling is a specialized form of therapy for couples who are unsure whether they want to stay together or separate. Unlike traditional couples therapy, which focuses on improving the relationship, discernment counseling helps couples gain clarity about the future of their relationship. It's designed to help you understand your options, reduce ambivalence, and make a confident decision about whether to commit to working on the marriage, move toward separation, or continue as you are. Dr. Perleoni provides a structured, supportive process that honors both partners' perspectives and helps you move forward with intention.
How does therapy help couples recovering from infidelity?
Infidelity creates profound pain and often shatters the foundation of trust in a relationship. Therapy provides a structured, safe space to process betrayal, understand what led to the affair, and decide whether to repair the relationship or separate. Using Gottman Method interventions, Dr. Perleoni helps couples address the emotional aftermath of infidelity, rebuild trust gradually, improve communication, and create a new relationship grounded in honesty and emotional safety. Recovery from infidelity is possible, but it requires commitment, transparency, and skilled guidance.
Can therapy help couples dealing with infertility?
Yes. Infertility creates unique stress on relationships—grief over lost expectations, pressure from treatment cycles, financial strain, and emotional exhaustion. Therapy provides a compassionate space where couples can process these challenges together, strengthen their emotional bond, and maintain connection during profound uncertainty. Dr. Perleoni helps couples navigate the grief, stress, and isolation that infertility often brings, while supporting them in making decisions that align with their values and relationship goals.
What are Couples Intensives and who are they for?
Couples Intensives are immersive, focused therapeutic experiences designed to create meaningful breakthroughs in a condensed timeframe. Instead of weekly sessions spread over months, intensives provide concentrated work over several hours or days. Dr. Perleoni's intensives are specifically designed for couples navigating infidelity or discernment—situations where deeper, sustained focus can accelerate healing and clarity. Intensives are ideal for couples who need significant progress quickly, those facing time-sensitive decisions, or those who have tried traditional therapy without sufficient results.
How does trauma affect relationships, and can therapy help?
Trauma shapes how we relate to others, often creating patterns of withdrawal, hypervigilance, emotional reactivity, or difficulty trusting. Past trauma can show up in relationships as communication breakdowns, intimacy challenges, or recurring conflicts that seem disconnected from current issues. Dr. Perleoni's expertise in trauma-informed care helps couples and individuals recognize how past experiences influence present patterns and work through underlying wounds. Healing trauma within the context of relationships creates space for greater emotional safety, connection, and resilience.
What should I expect in the first session with Dr. Perleoni?
The first session is an opportunity for Dr. Perleoni to understand your story, learn what brings you to therapy, and begin building a trusting therapeutic relationship. For couples, both partners will have the chance to share their perspectives, concerns, and hopes for therapy. Dr. Perleoni will ask questions to understand your relationship history, current challenges, and goals. The session is collaborative, compassionate, and designed to help you feel heard and supported. By the end, you'll have a clearer sense of how therapy can help and what the path forward might look like.