Dr. Desirae Martinez
From the outside, it may look like you’re managing life well...showing up for work, relationships, and responsibilities while quietly carrying stress, anxiety, overthinking, or emotional exhaustion underneath it all. Maybe your mind never fully slows down, you feel disconnected from yourself, or you keep finding yourself stuck in the same painful patterns no matter how hard you try to change them alone. The truth is that healing does not happen in isolation. We are not meant to carry everything by ourselves. Real change happens when you have a space where you can feel emotionally safe, understood, and supported without judgment. That's where I come in. I’m a trauma-informed psychotherapist (LPC) and the founder of Profound Minds Psychological Services. I help individuals move beyond survival mode, make sense of what’s happening beneath the surface, and begin creating sustainable, transformative, long-lasting emotional and mental healing. My role is to help you make sense of what is happening beneath the surface and begin creating change that actually lasts.
Your mind doesn’t slow down—you replay conversations, overanalyze decisions, and get caught in patterns that feel difficult to understand even to you.
Many of the individuals I work with are capable, reflective, and self-aware, yet frustrated that insight alone has not been enough. In our work, we go beyond symptoms and begin identifying the emotional and relational patterns driving them. From there, we work to shift those patterns in a structured, realistic, and sustainable way. This is a space where you do not need to hold everything together or have the right words. You can show up as you are, and we will begin from there.
First session
Starting therapy can feel overwhelming, so my goal is to create a space that feels grounded, supportive, and comfortable. In our first session, we’ll explore what’s been weighing on you, what feels most challenging, and what you hope to change. I’ll also share how I work so you know what to expect moving forward. There’s no pressure to have everything figured out, this is just a space to show up as you are and begin gaining clarity, understanding, and direction.
Strengths
Clients often describe my approach as warm, grounded, and supportive while also being direct, intentional, and results-oriented. I help people move beyond feeling stuck, reactive, or disconnected by understanding the deeper emotional and relational patterns driving their struggles and not just managing symptoms on the surface. My work is trauma-informed, evidence-based, and focused on lasting transformation, helping clients build healthier relationships, stronger emotional regulation, and greater self-trust. Many clients begin noticing increased clarity, emotional relief, and a stronger sense of stability within the first few sessions, with changes that continue to deepen over time both inside and outside of therapy.
Ideal clients
I work with children, adolescents, and adults facing anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship challenges, and emotional stress that has begun affecting daily life, relationships, or sense of self. Whether someone feels overwhelmed, emotionally disconnected, stuck in unhealthy cycles, or constantly misunderstood in their relationships, therapy becomes a space to slow things down, gain clarity, and build healthier ways of coping, communicating, and navigating life. Most of the people I work with are tired of simply venting or “pushing through” on their own and are ready for deeper healing, honest insight, and meaningful emotional growth.
Treatment methods
Christian Counseling
I offer Christian counseling for clients who wish to integrate their faith into the therapeutic process. When desired, we explore how spiritual beliefs, Scripture, prayer, and personal values connect to emotional well-being and healing. I provide a supportive space for clients to process challenges while drawing on their faith as a source of strength and guidance. My goal is to support personal growth and emotional healing in a way that aligns with each client’s beliefs and values.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
I use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help clients understand how their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors influence one another. I help clients recognize unhelpful thinking patterns and behaviors that may contribute to anxiety, depression, stress, or relationship challenges. I incorporate practical coping strategies and healthier ways of responding to difficult situations. The goal is to build greater self-awareness, improve emotional regulation, and create lasting, positive changes in daily life.
Acceptance and commitment (ACT)
I use Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to help clients develop a healthier relationship with difficult thoughts and emotions rather than trying to avoid or control them. Through mindfulness, acceptance, and cognitive defusion, clients learn to respond to challenges with greater awareness and flexibility. I help clients identify their personal values and set meaningful goals that reflect the life and relationships they want to build. My goal is to help clients move forward with greater self-compassion, resilience, and purpose, even when life feels difficult.
Attachment-based
I use attachment-based therapy to explore how early relationships and life experiences influence emotional responses, self-worth, and current relationship patterns. I help clients recognize how past experiences may affect trust, communication, boundaries, and their ability to feel safe and connected with others. I provide a supportive therapeutic environment where clients can explore these patterns and better understand their emotional needs. The goal is to strengthen emotional security, build healthier relationships, and foster more secure connections with themselves and others.
Narrative
I use narrative therapy to help clients explore how their life experiences have shaped the beliefs and stories they hold about themselves. I help clients recognize patterns or narratives that may contribute to feelings of shame, self-doubt, or being defined by past struggles. I encourage clients to recognize their strengths, values, and moments of resilience while developing new perspectives on their experiences. The goal is to help clients create a more meaningful and balanced view of themselves and their future.
Location
Virtual sessions
Identifies as
Black / African American
Christian
Person of Color (POC)
Woman
Top specialties
Anxiety
Depression
Trauma and PTSD
Other specialties
Anger Management
Burnout
Childhood / Intergenerational Trauma
Codependency
Emotional Regulation
Grief
Life Transitions
Men's Issues
Self Esteem
Women's Issues
Serves
Adults (18 to 64)
Children (6 to 12)
Couples Counseling
Elders (65 and above)
Family Therapy
Individual Therapy
Man
Teenagers (13 to 17)
Woman
Licensed in
MissouriLicense 2026011293