LMHC, 10 years of experience
I'm Eduardo Florez, Licensed Mental Health Counselor and founder of ShieldMee. I specialize in helping individuals and couples move through trauma, navigate complex identity questions, and manage high-stakes emotional challenges. If you're feeling stuck in patterns that aren't serving you—whether it's relational conflict, past trauma surfacing in unexpected ways, or difficulty trusting yourself—my approach is grounded, direct, and designed for lasting change. I work with people who are ready to go beyond insight and actually shift how they show up in their lives. My style blends clinical depth with practical application. I'll challenge you when it helps, offer clarity when you need it, and create structure that supports real growth. This isn't about quick fixes or surface-level strategies—it's about building self-mastery and creating change that holds up under pressure. I work collaboratively but won't shy away from naming what I see. Whether you're working through relationship dynamics, healing from trauma, or building a stronger sense of self, I bring respect for your story and a commitment to your progress.
In our first session, expect a structured, in-depth conversation focused on understanding why you're here and what you want to achieve. I listen for both content and patterns—how you frame your experiences, where you might get stuck, and what holds meaning for you. This approach, which I call Clinical Language Profiling (CLP), helps me notice themes and emotional patterns that may not be immediately obvious, even to you. We'll use this session to build a clear picture of what's happening and create a collaborative plan forward. You'll leave with direction, not just validation—knowing that the work we do together is designed to create tangible shifts, not just insight. This process is collaborative but focused. I'll ask direct questions, reflect what I'm noticing, and help you see your patterns with clarity. If you're ready to move beyond just talking about your issues and start actively changing them, this approach will fits.
My greatest strengths as a therapist are bringing clarity to complex situations, creating depth in our work together, and building trust quickly—even with clients who typically struggle to trust providers. I'm comfortable navigating difficult terrain: trauma, addiction, high-conflict relationships, and intense emotional states. This isn't work that overwhelms me; it's where I'm most effective. I pay close attention to both what you're saying and how you're saying it, helping you identify patterns that keep you stuck and shift them in real time. I'll challenge you when it serves your growth, but never from a place of judgment—my approach is direct but grounded in respect for where you are and where you're trying to go. Clients often tell me they appreciate that I stay steady under pressure, don't get rattled by their intensity, and create a space where honesty doesn't feel risky. If you need someone who can handle complexity without pulling back, and who will work with you—not just observe—I might be a strong fit.
I work especially well with high-functioning individuals who feel emotionally overwhelmed—people who appear to "have it together" on the outside but feel stuck, disconnected, or in quiet crisis internally. My clients often include professionals, creatives, caregivers, and deep thinkers who carry complex histories and are tired of surface-level solutions.
ognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a core component of my therapeutic approach, particularly when clients present with symptoms of anxiety, depression, trauma, or maladaptive behavioral patterns. I have been formally trained in CBT principles and continue to integrate its structured, evidence-based framework within individualized and group therapy settings.
I use narrative therapy to help clients reclaim authorship over their lives—especially when they feel trapped by stories shaped by trauma, identity conflict, or family systems. We explore the language you use to describe your emotions, relationships, and past experiences, and begin to rewrite those internal narratives with more agency, accuracy, and self-compassion. I often integrate this approach with culturally informed, emotionally focused, and trauma-aware methods—especially for clients who’ve felt silenced, misdiagnosed, or stuck in roles they didn’t choose. Narrative work isn’t about denying hardship; it’s about expanding your emotional vocabulary and uncovering meaning in what once felt like chaos. In practice, this might involve mapping the influence of a symptom (like anxiety or shame), externalizing it, and identifying how your values and strengths push back against it. We treat your story as alive—not fixed—and through this lens, real transformation can emerge. I also use narrative therapy as a foundation for language-based pattern recognition, which helps track emotional shifts and deepen long-term insight.
I often draw from Adlerian principles to help clients understand the deeper goals behind their behaviors—especially when those behaviors no longer serve them. Adler’s focus on purpose, belonging, and meaning resonates with many of the people I work with, particularly those navigating identity conflict, trauma, and relationship challenges. In practice, this means exploring early life experiences, beliefs about self-worth, and unspoken patterns of striving or compensation. I help clients see how symptoms like anxiety, control, or withdrawal might be protective adaptations rooted in earlier social roles—and then challenge those patterns through insight, encouragement, and emotional accountability. One powerful Adlerian tool I sometimes use is called “spitting in the client’s soup”—a form of gentle psychoeducation where we name the function of a behavior so clearly that it loses its power. When done with care and respect, this technique can illuminate stuck dynamics and invite real choice, not just reactivity. Ultimately, my Adlerian work helps clients reconnect to their values, understand their relational blueprint, and move from survival-driven habits to more intentional ways of living and connecting.
My approach to existential therapy is direct, grounded, and built for people who want to confront what matters—not just manage symptoms. I work with individuals who feel like the world no longer makes sense, or who carry a private weight that no one seems willing to name. This work isn’t about positivity or performance—it’s about choice, mortality, meaning, and the quiet crisis that comes when your values no longer match your reality. I don’t offer shallow reassurance. I offer a structured process for clarity, internal alignment, and truth. If you’re looking for therapy that respects complexity and doesn’t look away when things get uncomfortable, I’ll meet you in that space—with precision, honesty, and a commitment to depth.