Meet Our Therapists in Tampa, St. Petersburg & Sarasota
View our team of top-rated therapists and explore by location and specialization
Paris McDonald, MS, LMHC
Tampa | Veteran, First Responder & Trauma Therapist
ABOUT
A U.S. Army Veteran, Paris McDonald brings rare insight into the lived experience of first responders, military personnel, veterans, and their families. Her empowering, collaborative style helps clients across the lifespan tap internal strengths and build the resilience that holistic healing requires.
SPECIALTIES
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) for PTSD, and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) for adolescents. Complex trauma, anxiety, depression, anger, grief, personality concerns, infidelity, trust, and intimacy. Children, teens, adults, and couples. Tampa office and Florida telehealth.
Kelly Morrissey, MA, LMFT, LMHC-QS, CAP
Tampa | Lifespan Integration & Family Systems Therapist
ABOUT
With more than fourteen years of clinical experience, Kelly Morrissey offers a thoughtful, candid, collaborative space for individuals, couples, and families. She is one of only two therapists in Florida providing Lifespan Integration Therapy, a neuroscience-based modality offering gentle and rapid healing.
SPECIALTIES
Lifespan Integration Therapy, attachment-focused work, and family systems therapy. Trauma, codependency, addiction in family systems, burnout, perfectionism, life transitions, and self-esteem building. Florida-Qualified Supervisor for Registered Mental Health and Marriage and Family Therapy interns. Individuals, couples, and families. St. Petersburg office and Florida telehealth.
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.
Jessica Klein, MA, LMHC
St. Petersburg | CBT, Gottman & EMDR Therapist
ABOUT
Jessica is a compassionate and experienced therapist who has worked with couples and adults in a variety of settings. She holds Gottman Level 1 training, has EMDRIA training for EMDR, utilizes cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), narrative therapy, inner-child work, and attachment-based approaches to support clients through a variety of concerns.
SPECIALTIES
Life transitions, interpersonal challenges, and deepening self-understanding. Grounded in a strength-based philosophy, Jessica strives to create a non-judgmental and safe space where clients feel heard, respected, and empowered to grow.
Samantha Kindler, MA
Tampa | Registered Mental Health Counseling Intern | EFT & CBT
ABOUT
Samantha Kindler is a Registered Mental Health Counseling Intern who brings a relational, strengths-based presence to individuals, couples, and families. Her collaborative style empowers clients to gain clarity, rebuild connection, and move forward with greater confidence at every stage of their work together.
SPECIALTIES
Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Anxiety, depression, trauma, betrayal, and complex relationship challenges. Experience working with clients ages eleven through sixty-five in private practice. Individuals and couples. Tampa and St. Petersburg offices, with Florida telehealth.
Julia Loewi, MSW, LCSW
Sarasota | Couples, ADHD & Life Transitions Therapist
ABOUT
Julia Loewi works with high-functioning individuals and couples in Sarasota who want the same clarity and success in their relationships that they have achieved in other parts of life. Her structured, solution-focused style is paired with the deeper insight required for lasting change.
SPECIALTIES
Gottman Method Level 3, Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT), and Certified Financial Therapy (CFSW). Couples, ADHD in adults, life transitions, postpartum adjustment, and relocation. Adults and couples. Sarasota office and Florida telehealth.
Ciana Nguyen, MS, LCSW
Sarasota | Child, Family & Veteran-Connected Care Therapist
ABOUT
Ciana Nguyen is a trauma-informed, developmentally-sensitive clinician who supports children, adolescents, adults, and families. Her warm, collaborative space is shaped by years of work with military families, veterans, and the unique demands of healing across complex systems.
SPECIALTIES
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), CBT for Chronic Pain (CBT-CP), Motivational Interviewing, Pain Neuroscience Education, supportive therapy, play therapy, and mindfulness-based strategies. Anxiety disorders, depression, PTSD, complex trauma, adjustment disorders, grief, and military and veteran care. Children, adolescents, adults, and families. Tampa office and Florida telehealth.
Annie Mowbray, MA
Tampa | Registered Mental Health Counseling Intern | Chronic Illness & Disability
ABOUT
Annie Mowbray is a Registered Mental Health Counseling Intern whose person-centered approach creates a safe, non-judgmental space for healing. She has a particular focus on clients navigating chronic illness, invisible disabilities, and the emotional weight of caring for loved ones with complex health concerns.
SPECIALTIES
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Gestalt therapy, and trauma-informed care. Trauma, depression, anxiety, eating disorders and disordered eating, life transitions, chronic illness, and disability-related concerns. Specialized work with invisible disabilities and caregivers. Adolescents and adults. Tampa office and Florida telehealth.
Chelsea Walker, MA, LMFT
Sarasota | Couples, Women's & Older Adult Therapist
ABOUT
Chelsea Walker is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in Sarasota who creates a compassionate, client-centered space for healing and growth. She works with couples, families, and individuals navigating relationship challenges, life transitions, grief, and the personal struggles that ask for deeper attention.
SPECIALTIES
Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), Solution-Focused Therapy, and the Gottman Method. Couples communication, conflict, infidelity recovery, women's empowerment, life transitions, and grief in older adults. Couples, families, individuals, women, and older adults. Sarasota office and Florida telehealth.
Andreas Balasis, MSW, LCSW-QS, CHP
St. Petersburg | ACT, Performance Psychology & High Performers
ABOUT
Andreas Balasis 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 and high performance, supporting individuals and couples ready to break long-standing patterns.
SPECIALTIES
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), third-wave Cognitive Behavioral Therapy approaches, Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), and performance psychology. Anxiety, depression, perfectionism, life transitions, and relationship concerns. Specialized work with athletes, high performers, and professionals. St. Petersburg office and Florida telehealth.
Dr. Alex Castañeda, PhD, LMHC
Tampa | EMDR, Faith-Integrated & Addiction Therapist
ABOUT
Dr. Alex Castañeda works with individuals and couples navigating trauma, addiction, and emotional patterns that no longer align with their values. His doctoral training pairs psychological science with thoughtful integration of faith for clients who want their spirituality honored in the work.
SPECIALTIES
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)-informed care, and Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT). Trauma, pornography addiction, compulsive sexual behaviors, faith-integrated counseling, and relationship concerns. Adults and couples. Tampa office and Florida telehealth.
Melissa Zentner, 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, LMHC
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.