Is couples therapy actually effective after infidelity, or is the relationship usually over?

Yes—couples therapy can be highly effective after infidelity when both partners are willing to engage in structured, evidence-based work. Recovery focuses on rebuilding emotional safety, understanding the rupture, and repairing trust over time. Melissa uses Gottman Method Couples Therapy to help partners stabilize emotions, reduce reactivity, and create clear steps toward repair, accountability, and renewed intimacy.

Can couples therapy help with intimacy and sexual connection after trust has been broken?

Yes. Infidelity often disrupts emotional and physical intimacy. Melissa integrates couples therapy with sex-positive, trauma-informed work to address desire differences, sexual avoidance, resentment, and reconnection—even when nothing is “clinically wrong,” but the relationship feels disconnected.

I’ve never been to therapy — how do I know if this will actually help me?

Many high-performing individuals seek therapy because internal pressure, stress, or patterns are limiting performance. Melissa works with clients who value efficiency, structure, and clear outcomes. Therapy focuses on emotional regulation, clarity, and performing well under pressure—not vague or open-ended conversations.

How does mental performance therapy help teen athletes?

Mental performance therapy helps teen athletes manage pressure, regulate emotions, recover from mistakes, and maintain confidence in competitive environments. Melissa works with high-school, club, and collegiate-level athletes to strengthen focus, emotional control, and mental resilience.

Do you work with court-ordered or court-involved therapy cases?

Yes. Melissa has extensive experience providing court-involved family therapy, trauma-informed assessments, and clinically sound documentation. She approaches these high-stakes situations with professionalism, objectivity, and care.

Elena Khutaba, Graduate Counseling Intern

Specializing in Anxiety, Relationship Anxiety, and Life Transitions for Teens and Young Adults

Specializes in DBT & CBT therapy for children, teens, and families
Focused on anxiety, depression, school stress, emotional regulation, and self-esteem

About Elena

Elena works with children ages 5 and up, teens, young adults, and young couples who feel stuck in anxiety, overthinking, or old relationship patterns. She believes clients know themselves best, and she sees her role as helping you discover the answers you already hold within yourself. Elena leads with empathy and offers a nonjudgmental space to process lived experiences and explore emotions. She incorporates parts work informed by Internal Family Systems (IFS) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills to support emotional regulation and self-understanding. Her background includes more than 1,000 calls on the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, case management with at-risk adolescents and young adults, and more than five years with young children in Montessori and preschool classrooms. She is especially drawn to how childhood experiences shape adult relationships, self-worth, and the urge to please others. Elena views every session as a collaboration toward healing and growth.

Credentials & Education

Graduate Counseling Intern, St. Petersburg | Clinical supervision by Amanda Farris, LCSW-QS, Florida License #SW17320
Master's degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (in progress), Capella University
Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST)
NAMI peer support and recovery-focused training
More than 5 years of experience with young children in Montessori and preschool settings

Schedule a consultation

Who Elena Supports

Children developing feelings, confidence, and coping skills in ways that fit their developmental stage
Teens with anxiety and depression
Students moving from high school to college, navigating independence, identity, and the stress of a brand-new chapter
LGBTQ+ individuals working through stigma, isolation, and the weight of not feeling accepted
Individuals with relationship anxiety and attachment challenges
Young couples struggling with transitions, such as moving in together, managing long distance relationships, and other early relationship milestones

Elena’s Approach to Therapy

Elena believes you are the expert on your own life. Her role is to help you uncover the answers you already hold through a collaborative, empathetic process.

She focuses on:

Leading with empathy & offering a nonjudgmental space to process experiences and explore emotions
Exploring your parts with IFS-informed work, specifically understanding the protective parts behind anxiety, people-pleasing, and self-criticism
Building emotional regulation with DBT skills, providing clients with practical tools to manage intense emotions, distress, and conflict
Connecting past and present to understand how childhood experiences and attachment patterns shape current relationships
Strengthening self-worth in order to separate value from performance, approval, and other people's expectations
Treating each session as a partnership where you set the direction

What Elena Helps Clients With

Elena supports St. Petersburg-area children, teens, young adults, and couples experiencing:

Anxiety and overthinking
Teen depression
Relationship anxiety
Attachment issues
Childhood trauma
People-pleasing
Low self-esteem and self-worth
Life transitions, including high school to college

Elena’s Background & Training

Elena brings frontline crisis experience, youth case management, and years in early childhood classrooms to her clinical training.

Her professional experience includes:

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, providing crisis intervention, suicide prevention, and emotional support
Case management and care coordination for at-risk adolescents and young adults navigating mental health challenges and life transitions
More than 5 years supporting children at Montessori and preschool settings
Graduate clinical training in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Capella University & at It Begins Within

Her training and expertise include:

Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST)
NAMI peer support and recovery-focused training
Training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy & Dialectical Behavior Therapy

A Message From Elena

"I believe you know yourself better than anyone else does. My role is to help you discover the answers you already hold within you. Whether you’re feeling overwhelmed, stepping in to a new chapter in life, or you keep putting everyone else first, I’ll meet you where you’re at - without judgement. My goal is to help you view these challenges from a new lens, often helping clients to become aware and challenge existing beliefs which are no longer serving them.”

Ready to work with Elena?

We invite you to schedule a FREE CONSULTATION with us to begin your healing journey.

Frequently Asked Questions

What kinds of anxiety does Elena help with?

Elena works with anxiety that shows up as overthinking, perfectionism, and pressure to keep everyone happy. For teens, that often looks like stress about school, friendships, and what the future may hold for them. For young adults, it may look more like a big transition such as leaving for college, starting a new job, or relationship anxiety from moving in with a partner. Rather than focusing solely on managing symptoms, she helps clients understand where the anxiety comes from, including how earlier experiences shaped the way you see yourself and others.

How is relationship anxiety different from general anxiety?

General anxiety tends to spread across many areas of life, such as work, health, money, and the future. Relationship anxiety centers on closeness itself. You might replay conversations, read into a delayed text, seek constant reassurance, or hold back your needs to avoid conflict. These reactions often trace back to early attachment experiences that taught you love has to be earned or could disappear. The goal is to feel secure enough in yourself that relationships feel less like a test and more like a place to rest.

What ages does Elena work with?

Elena works with children ages 5 and up, teens, young adults, and young couples.

What is Elena like in session?

Elena leads with empathy and believes you are the expert on your own life. Sessions with her feel more like talking with a friend more than being spoken to by a teacher. She asks thoughtful questions, reflects what she hears, and helps you reach your own insights instead of handing you a script. She incorporates parts work informed by Internal Family Systems, which helps clients to understand the different parts of their self, such as the part that worries, the part that people-pleases, and the part that criticizes. She also teaches Dialectical Behavior Therapy skills for regulating intense emotions and handling distress. That balance of insight and practical tools means you leave with a deeper understanding of yourself and something concrete to use during the week.

What should I expect in the first session with Elena?

The first session is a chance to get to know each other. Elena will ask about what brought you in, what you hope to change, and a bit about your history, relationships, and current stressors. For children and teens, a parent or caregiver may be part of the conversation. There is no pressure to share everything at once, and you set the pace. Together, you will begin to outline goals for your work together.

Locations Served

Elena provides in-person sessions at our St. Petersburg office, 12425 28th St, Suite 100, St. Petersburg, FL 33716, & virtual therapy to individuals across Florida.