Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)

With 10 years of clinical experience treating anxiety disorders, depression, trauma, and OCD, I use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy as a structured evidence-based approach to identify and change the thought patterns and behaviors that maintain psychological distress. This isn't worksheet-based CBT where you're handed generic homework—I help you recognize cognitive distortions as they happen in session and teach practical tools to challenge them in real life. CBT treats Generalized Anxiety Disorder through identifying worry triggers, challenging catastrophic predictions, and building tolerance for uncertainty. For Panic Disorder I use interoceptive exposure to trigger physical sensations that mimic panic, cognitive restructuring of catastrophic misinterpretation, and gradual exposure to feared situations. Social Anxiety responds to exposure hierarchy, challenging mind-reading assumptions, and testing feared outcomes. For Major Depressive Disorder I address cognitive distortions like overgeneralization and all-or-nothing thinking combined with behavioral activation, which is critical because depression maintains itself through withdrawal. Treatment-Resistant Depression requires enhanced CBT examining why standard approaches haven't worked, increasing accountability, and addressing complicating factors like unresolved trauma or relationship problems. For PTSD I use trauma-focused CBT including prolonged exposure and cognitive processing therapy to restructure trauma-related beliefs. OCD responds to Exposure and Response Prevention—the gold standard—where we practice exposure to anxiety-provoking triggers without performing compulsions, learning that anxiety decreases naturally without rituals. Insomnia improves with CBT-i using sleep restriction, stimulus control, and cognitive restructuring, proving more effective long-term than medication. What makes my CBT different is real-time intervention where I catch cognitive distortions as they happen rather than reviewing thought records later, combined with strong emphasis on behavioral activation because insight without action maintains problems. I work particularly well with treatment-resistant cases where previous CBT felt too generic, high-functioning professionals needing efficient results, and clients willing to do behavioral work between sessions. Most clients see measurable improvement within 8-12 sessions depending on presenting concern. Available throughout Florida via telehealth, bilingual in English and Spanish, LGBTQ+ affirming, evening and weekend appointments, most insurance accepted.

Dialectical Behavior (DBT)

With 10 years of clinical experience treating emotional dysregulation, self-harm, and chronic suicidality, I use Dialectical Behavior Therapy as a specialized evidence-based treatment for intense mood swings, impulsive behaviors, unstable relationships, and difficulty managing distress. DBT was developed by Marsha Linehan for borderline personality disorder but is now widely used for anyone struggling with emotional intensity regardless of diagnosis. It's different from standard talk therapy because it teaches specific concrete skills in four core areas: mindfulness to stay present, distress tolerance to survive crises without making things worse, emotion regulation to manage intense emotions, and interpersonal effectiveness to communicate needs and maintain relationships. For Emotional Dysregulation I work with clients who experience emotions more intensely than others where small triggers create overwhelming responses and emotions change rapidly throughout the day, teaching skills including identifying and labeling emotions accurately, checking the facts to determine if intensity matches the situation, opposite action when emotions don't fit the facts, and accumulating positive emotions. Self-Harm Behaviors respond to distress tolerance skills as alternatives to cutting, burning, or other self-injury through crisis survival skills like TIPP which uses Temperature, Intense exercise, Paced breathing, and Paired muscle relaxation to calm your nervous system, plus distraction techniques and self-soothing through the five senses. For Suicidal Ideation and Chronic Suicidality I provide safety planning while teaching skills to manage suicidal urges through distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and mindfulness to observe suicidal thoughts as thoughts not commands. Borderline Personality Disorder responds to comprehensive DBT addressing unstable relationships, frantic efforts to avoid abandonment, impulsivity, recurrent self-harm, intense mood swings, chronic emptiness, and inappropriate anger, showing significant reduction in self-harm, hospitalization, and improvement in emotional regulation and relationships. Impulsive Behaviors including reckless spending, risky sexual behavior, substance use, or binge eating improve through urge surfing, pros and cons analysis, and the STOP skill to pause between urge and action. For Interpersonal Chaos I teach DEAR MAN for asking for what you need, GIVE to maintain relationships, and FAST to maintain self-respect. What makes my DBT different is direct accountability where I won't let you avoid practicing skills between sessions, combined with understanding that emotional intensity isn't weakness but requires building specific skills to manage effectively. Most clients see measurable improvement within 12-20 sessions depending on presenting concerns, with comprehensive BPD treatment requiring longer commitment. Available throughout Florida via telehealth, bilingual in English and Spanish, LGBTQ+ affirming, evening and weekend appointments, most insurance accepted.

Trauma Informed Care

I provide trauma-informed therapy for individuals who've experienced military combat, first responder trauma, childhood abuse or neglect, sexual assault, domestic violence, accidents, medical trauma, witnessing violence, and other overwhelming events that continue to impact daily functioning, relationships, and sense of safety. Trauma-informed care means I understand how trauma affects the brain and body, create safety in the therapeutic relationship, avoid retraumatizing you through the therapy process, and work at a pace that respects your window of tolerance rather than pushing you into overwhelming territory before you're ready. For PTSD I treat intrusive memories, nightmares, flashbacks, avoidance, hypervigilance, exaggerated startle response, and the persistent negative beliefs trauma creates about yourself and the world. I use evidence-based treatment including prolonged exposure therapy, cognitive processing therapy to change unhelpful beliefs like excessive self-blame, and EMDR using bilateral stimulation to reduce the distressing impact of trauma memories. For veterans and military combat trauma I understand military culture, don't pathologize your experience, and recognize that responses like hypervigilance were adaptive in combat even if problematic now. I address moral injury—the guilt, shame, or spiritual crisis from actions taken or witnessed—which is distinct from PTSD and requires different treatment. My direct approach respects military communication style rather than overly gentle therapy that feels condescending. For first responders I work with police, firefighters, paramedics, and ER staff experiencing cumulative trauma from years of exposure to death and suffering, critical incidents, and the stigma about seeking help in first responder culture. I understand the reluctance to appear weak and provide confidential treatment separate from your department. For complex PTSD and developmental trauma from childhood abuse, neglect, or chaotic environments, I use phase-based treatment: first stabilization and emotional regulation skills, then trauma processing once you're ready, then integration and building a meaningful life beyond survival mode. Complex trauma requires longer treatment because we're addressing years of impact, not a single event. For sexual trauma I address the specific impacts including shame, self-blame, difficulty with intimacy, and disconnection from your body, using cognitive processing therapy to challenge beliefs like "it was my fault" and body-based work to reclaim agency. For domestic violence survivors I provide safety planning, help you understand trauma bonding, and support rebuilding your sense of self after years of control. Trauma treatment works best for clients currently safe from ongoing trauma, willing to engage with painful memories at appropriate pace, and able to commit to consistent attendance. Most clients see significant symptom reduction within 12-25 sessions depending on trauma type, with complex PTSD requiring longer treatment. Available throughout Florida via telehealth, specialized services for veterans and first responders, bilingual in English and Spanish, LGBTQ+ affirming, evening and weekend appointments, most major insurance accepted.

Christian Counseling

I provide faith-integrated therapy for individuals, couples, and families whose Christian identity is central to who they are but whose suffering feels incompatible with their beliefs. This isn't generic counseling where I occasionally ask about your faith—it's deep integration of scriptural literacy with clinical psychology. Many therapists either pathologize religious beliefs or avoid spiritual content entirely, leaving Christian clients to choose between secular therapy that ignores their faith or pastoral counseling that lacks clinical rigor. I do both. Most importantly: even Christ questioned God on the cross—"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" If the Son of God felt abandoned in his darkest moment, your doubt, fear, or suffering isn't spiritual failure but being human. Faith and struggle coexist. My approach differs from secular therapy in how I address spiritual crisis directly. When you say "I feel like God has abandoned me because of my depression," I don't just focus on symptoms—I respond that even Jesus felt forsaken during suffering, and depression doesn't mean God has left you but that you're experiencing a distortion in how you perceive His presence. We address both the depression and the spiritual crisis it creates. For anxiety I integrate Philippians 4:6-7 with evidence-based treatment, exploring what surrendering worry to God actually looks like behaviorally. For relationship conflict I explore what practicing Ephesians 4:32—being kind, tenderhearted, forgiving—requires when you're hurt and angry, and what biblical forgiveness actually demands. I work with individuals experiencing spiritual crisis, anxiety about salvation or unworthiness, depression that feels like abandonment, trauma that shakes faith in a good God, addiction recovery within Christian framework, LGBTQ+ identity and faith integration, doubt and deconstruction, guilt and scrupulosity, and grief including "why did God let this happen?" For couples I address infidelity recovery within covenant marriage, sexual intimacy struggles and purity culture damage, communication breakdowns despite shared faith, and couples considering separation but wanting to honor their covenant. For families I work with prodigal children, generational patterns, parent-child conflict over faith, and cultural-faith identity conflicts. I don't proselytize but meet you within your existing faith framework. I don't avoid hard questions—if your faith is creating suffering through toxic guilt or fear-based compliance, we address it. I distinguish healthy faith from spiritual bypassing because "just pray about it" isn't always the answer when you also need trauma processing or communication skills. I understand Latino Christianity, Pentecostal traditions, Catholic guilt, and evangelical purity culture. Bilingual services in English and Spanish, LGBTQ+ affirming within faith context, evening and weekend appointments, available throughout Florida via telehealth, most insurance accepted.

Couples Counseling

With 10 years of clinical experience and Gottman Method training, I provide couples therapy throughout Florida via telehealth for relationships facing communication breakdowns, infidelity and betrayal recovery, high-conflict patterns, emotional disconnection, intimacy problems, and couples considering separation who want to try one more time with a different approach. I specialize in couples where previous therapy felt too soft, surface-level, or one-sided—if you need someone direct who will call out the patterns you're both missing, we'll work well together. I don't let couples hide behind surface issues. What you're arguing about—sex, money, parenting, in-laws—usually isn't the actual problem. It's how you navigate conflict together. I track communication patterns in real-time, identify the criticism, defensiveness, contempt, and stonewalling that Gottman research shows predict divorce, and teach practical skills for genuine connection and effective conflict resolution. You'll see tangible improvements in how you communicate often within the first few sessions. For infidelity and betrayal recovery I help couples move through the stages of atonement, attunement, and attachment—processing the trauma of betrayal while rebuilding trust for couples committed to repair. For emotional disconnection and feeling like roommates I address the withdrawal patterns that created distance and rebuild friendship and intimacy. For high-conflict couples caught in the same arguments repeatedly I interrupt the cycle, help you both see what you're missing, and teach de-escalation and repair. For couples considering separation I provide discernment counseling to help you gain clarity and confidence about your decision whether that's reconciliation or divorce. What makes my approach different is that I hold both partners accountable. I'm not looking for who's right—I'm identifying what's breaking the relationship and what skills you both need. Many couples appreciate working with a male therapist because it creates balance, especially when one partner has felt outnumbered or dismissed in previous therapy. I also work with one partner dragging the other to therapy—I get both of you engaged. Couples therapy works best for partners willing to be honest about their part in the dynamic even when uncomfortable, wanting practical communication skills rather than just venting sessions, and ready to do work between sessions. If you're looking for me to validate that your partner is 100% the problem, I'm not your therapist. Available for couples throughout Florida via telehealth including Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville, West Palm Beach, and surrounding areas. Bilingual services in English and Spanish. LGBTQ+ affirming. Evening and weekend appointments. Most major insurance accepted.