Meet Our Therapists in Tampa, St. Petersburg & Sarasota
View our team of top-rated therapists and explore by location and specialization
Samantha Wilson, MA, LMHC
Sarasota | Trauma, EMDR & Child Therapist
ABOUT
Samantha offers trauma and relationship counseling for couples, adults, teens, and children at our Sarasota therapy office. Trained in EMDR and Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, with experience across school-based and community care settings, she helps clients move through complex trauma, PTSD, relational stress, and life transitions. Her approach is warm, collaborative, and grounded, balancing genuine compassion with practical tools and honest conversation so that therapy feels both supportive and meaningful.
SPECIALTIES
EMDR, Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), and strengths-based, collaborative approaches. Complex trauma, PTSD, couples and relational stress, anxiety, stress, and life transitions. Specialized work with couples recovering from relational distress and clients carrying long-standing trauma who are ready to feel genuinely seen and understood. Couples, adults, teens, and children. Sarasota and statewide Florida telehealth.
Ellie Smith, Mental Performance Student Intern
St. Petersburg | Mental Performance Intern | Sport & Performance
ABOUT
Ellie supports athletes and performers at our St. Petersburg & Tampa offices, focusing on the mental side of sport and performance. A former athlete and dancer who navigated her own recovery from bilateral ACL injuries, she brings lived understanding to the confidence, focus, and identity challenges that come with high-level performance. Currently pursuing a master's degree in Applied Physiology and Kinesiology and working toward the Certified Mental Performance Consultant credential, Ellie helps clients build practical mental skills that translate directly into training, competition, and life.
SPECIALTIES
Mental performance skills, confidence building, focus and resilience training, and goal-oriented performance consulting. Performance anxiety, burnout, consistency under pressure, injury recovery, return-to-play, and athletic identity. Specialized work with athletes and performers navigating setbacks, rebuilding trust in their bodies, and developing a balanced sense of self beyond sport. Individuals, couples, and families.
Christine Pickering, Ph.D., BCBA, NCSP
Tampa, St. Pete & Sarasota | Psychological Testing & Evaluations
ABOUT
Dr. Pickering provides psychological testing and evaluations for children, teens, and adults across our Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Sarasota offices. With 17+ years of experience and triple credentialing as a Licensed Psychologist, BCBA, and Nationally Certified School Psychologist, she specializes in ADHD, autism, learning disability, and gifted assessment.
SPECIALTIES
Evidence-based standardized assessment, integrated cognitive and behavioral testing, and ABA-informed evaluation. ADHD, autism, learning disability, gifted, and psychoeducational evaluations, plus 504/IEP and accommodation documentation. Children, teens, college students, and adults.
Julia Schwartz, MSW, Registered Clinical Social Worker Intern
St. Petersburg | Young Adult, Couples & Family Therapist
ABOUT
Julia offers therapy for young adults, couples, and families at our St. Pete office. She works collaboratively with clients navigating anxiety, depression, and life transitions, helping them build coping skills and stronger relationships through evidence-based, compassionate care.
SPECIALTIES
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and mindfulness-based approaches. Anxiety, depression, life transitions, emotional regulation, and relationship challenges. Young adults, couples, and families.
Amanda Farris, MS, LCSW-QS
St. Petersburg | Attachment-Focused EMDR & Couples Therapist [verify city]
ABOUT
Amanda Farris brings a relational, dynamic approach to therapy, helping individuals and couples break patterns that no longer serve them. A Registered Yoga Teacher in addition to her clinical training, she integrates mindfulness and body-centered work for clients drawn to a holistic path.
SPECIALTIES
Attachment-focused EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and somatic-informed care. Trauma, depression, anxiety, self-harm, intimacy, communication, and trust concerns. Specialized work with couples across all relationship structures. Adolescents, adults, and couples. St. Petersburg office and Florida telehealth.
Tyler MacDonald, MA, LMHC
St. Petersburg | Men's Therapy, Identity & Relationship Therapist
ABOUT
Tyler MacDonald brings a systemic, trauma-informed approach to his work with adults navigating identity, neurodivergence, anger, men's work, substance use, grief, and the search for meaning. His belief: counseling is not a process of creating something new, but of removing the barriers to what has always been.
SPECIALTIES
Motivational interviewing, person-centered therapy, Jungian and existential approaches, and trauma-informed care. Identity exploration, anxiety, depression, neurodivergence, self-esteem, men's work, substance use, anger, spirituality, and grief. Specialized experience with eating disorders and adolescent psychiatric care. Adults. Tampa office and Florida telehealth.
Megan Midura, MA, LMHC
St. Petersburg | Child & Family Therapist
ABOUT
Megan Midura specializes in the inner world of children and families, helping young clients learn to name big feelings, advocate for themselves, and build resilience. Her relationship-centered approach prioritizes caregiver involvement so families heal as a system, not in isolation.
SPECIALTIES
Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), and Trauma-Focused Play Therapy. ADHD, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and Major Depression. Children, families, and young adults. St. Petersburg office and Florida telehealth.
Jessica Klein, MA, LMHC
St. Petersburg | CBT, Gottman & EMDR Therapist
ABOUT
Jessica is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor specializing in couples therapy, EMDR, and life transitions at our St. Petersburg office. She brings particular depth to inner-child work and creates a non-judgmental, strength-based space where clients feel heard, respected, and empowered to grow.
SPECIALTIES
Gottman Method Level 1, EMDR (EMDRIA-trained), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), narrative therapy, inner-child work, and attachment-based approaches. Couples conflict, life transitions, depression, grief, childhood wounds, and interpersonal challenges. Adults and couples. St. Petersburg office and Florida telehealth.
Ashley Canto, MS, LCSW
St. Petersburg | Child Trauma & Play Therapist [verify city]
ABOUT
Ashley Canto is a trauma-informed therapist with a strong focus on child therapy and family healing. Her warm, collaborative presence supports children, adolescents, teens, and adults as they navigate the effects of trauma, anxiety, emotional dysregulation, and life transitions.
SPECIALTIES
Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Parent Management Technique (PMT), Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) Tapping, Motivational Interviewing, and Play Therapy. Trauma, emotional regulation, family dynamics, and behavioral concerns across the lifespan. Children, adolescents, teens, and adults. St. Petersburg office and Florida telehealth.
Genevieve Savage, MSW, LCSW
St. Petersburg | Child & Family Systems Therapist
ABOUT
Genevieve Savage works with children, young adults, LGBTQ+ individuals, and family systems navigating trauma, anxiety, and the day-to-day stress of growing and changing. Her judgment-free space helps clients find individuality, strengthen self-image, and identify the strengths already within them.
SPECIALTIES
Trauma-informed care, family systems work, art-based interventions, and LGBTQ-affirming therapy. Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Major Depressive Disorder, ADHD, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, and Autism Spectrum Disorder. School concerns, crisis management, and caregiver involvement. Children, adolescents, young adults, and families. St. Petersburg office and Florida telehealth.
Andreas Balasis, MSW, LCSW-QS, CHP
St. Petersburg | LCSW, CHP | ACT, Hypnotherapy & Performance Psychology
ABOUT
Andreas helps clients move toward meaningful, lasting change with a style that is warm, direct, and collaborative. His clinical home is the intersection of psychological flexibility, clinical hypnotherapy, and high performance, supporting teens, adults, and couples ready to break long-standing patterns.
SPECIALTIES
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), clinical hypnotherapy, somatic therapy, third-wave Cognitive Behavioral Therapy approaches, Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), and performance psychology. Anxiety, depression, perfectionism, substance use and addictive behaviors, life transitions, and relationship concerns. Specialized work with teens, athletes, high performers, and professionals. St. Petersburg office and Florida telehealth.
Melissa Zentner, MS, LMHC
St. Petersburg | PTSD, Anxiety & Family Trauma Specialist
ABOUT
With over ten years of clinical practice, Melissa Zentner offers integrative therapy for children, adolescents, and adults navigating Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, anxiety, impulse-control concerns, and depression. Her time-limited, evidence-based approach focuses on measurable symptom reduction without sacrificing depth in the therapeutic relationship.
SPECIALTIES
Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics, person-centered therapy, and Gottman Method Level 1. PTSD, anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, generational trauma, premarital counseling, and sport psychology. Children, teens, adults, and couples. St. Petersburg office and Florida telehealth.
Dr. Mary Perleoni, PhD, LMHC, NCC
Founder & Clinical Director | Tampa | Couples & Trauma Therapist
ABOUT
Founder and clinical director of It Begins Within, Dr. Mary Perleoni brings doctoral-level expertise in counseling, clinical supervision, and trauma-informed care. She supports couples and individuals through infidelity recovery, infertility, discernment counseling, and the complex relational dynamics that define modern partnership.
SPECIALTIES
Couples therapy, infidelity recovery, discernment counseling, and trauma therapy. Trained in Gottman Method, Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Gestalt, and mindfulness. Specialized work in intensive couples workshops and breakthrough retreats. Adults and couples. Tampa office and Florida telehealth.
Kaitlyn Shelp, MA, LMHC-QS
Clinical Director | Tampa & St. Petersburg | Infidelity & Trauma Specialist
ABOUT
Clinical Director for the Tampa and St. Petersburg offices, Kaitlyn Shelp brings deep specialty expertise to couples and individuals seeking healing after disclosure of infidelity. Her trauma-informed, directive approach pairs systematic treatment with the steady warmth this most vulnerable clinical work requires.
SPECIALTIES
Infidelity recovery, betrayal trauma, and couples healing. One of two clinicians in Florida formally trained in Systematic Affair Recovery Therapy (SART). Also trained in Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) and Gottman Method. Couples and individuals. Tampa and St. Petersburg offices, with Florida telehealth.