Trauma and PTSD therapists & psychiatrists in Lutz, FL

Many of my clients look like they have it together—but inside, they feel stuck, anxious, or emotionally overwhelmed in their relationships. I help adults untangle painful patterns rooted in emotional neglect, people-pleasing, or past relationships that felt confusing or unsafe. Together, we’ll slow down, go deep, and help you get to the root of the issue.

Explore the difference of in-person therapy in an uplifted, spa-like environment in St. Pete & Hyde Park.

Originally from New York, I hold a masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and a BA in Neuroscience. I worked at the Omega Institute for Holistic Studies for thirteen years alongside world-class health and wellness experts, which brings depth to my work as a psychotherapist. I studied Buddhism and have practiced yoga and meditation for over 20 years. Clients describe me calm, warm and resourceful. Client testimonials can be found on my website.

Please visit my website:

www.coastalpsychologicalgroupfl.com

We don't usually seek help when life is going well for us. Whatever your current situation is, you are looking for help and guidance. I provide an encouraging and warm environment for exploration and growth. I am passionate about my work and invested in your process towards transformation. I believe each client requires a unique treatment plan that is tailored to their personal life situation.

I believe everyone deserves a safe place to feel heard, supported, and understood. I earned my Master's degree in Counseling from Webster University and tailor therapy to each person's unique needs and goals. My hope is that you'll feel comfortable, encouraged, and empowered as we work together toward healing and lasting change.

My core belief is simple: I believe in you and your ability to become the healthiest, most fulfilled version of yourself. Life often makes it hard to see that potential, let alone know how to get there. My role is to be your guide and ally on that journey.

My path to becoming a clinician has been intentional. Beyond my master's degree in counseling and advanced post-master's training, my work in non-profit and community mental health has given me a breadth of experience with people from all walks of life. This doesn't mean "I've seen it all," but it does mean that I'm prepared to meet you where you are, without judgment. No matter what you're going through, if you are ready to take a step, so am I.

Look, nothing gets better if we don't find a way to face it safely. That's why therapy takes courage. It took courage just to get this far, and you already deserve credit for that. When you're ready for that first, brave step of reaching out, I'll be here, ready to loan you some of my hope until you can hold it for yourself.

I have worked with clients from ages 3 through 80 and with individuals, couples, and families. With that breadth of experience, very little shocks or surprises me, and I am able to develop an individualized approach for each client, combining therapy modalities that play to my strengths as a counselor and that are helpful for the people I’m working with.

Three principles shape all the counseling I do:

• Counseling should be efficient. Counseling has significant costs in time and money. I think the benefits far outweigh the costs but when I can give you the benefits while helping you save on the costs I will do that. So I choose approaches to counseling (like EMDR and EFT) that generally work more quickly. That being said, I don’t want to you to feel better for three to six months and then need counseling again because we only worked on symptom relief and didn’t bring healing to the underlying causes. That doesn’t seem very efficient to me. So my goal is to provide as long-lasting and complete help as possible in as little time as possible.
• The client is always in charge. People are complex and come with years of history that I can never know all of. I know a lot of things but you will always be the one who decides what you want to get out of counseling, how we work towards that goal, whether or not what we’re doing seems to be working, and when we’re done.
• Change and health happen through relationships. The work we do in counseling will touch on how your relationships impact your health. No matter what you come in for, there are always relational implications of change and relational factors that contribute to whatever it is that you came to counseling to change. Change can only happen in counseling because of our relationship. It’s my responsibility to make our relationship a place where you feel heard and accepted.

I’m a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and founder of Roots Healing Alliance, where I help individuals and couples do deeper, meaningful healing work. I specialize in trauma, anxiety, and relationship patterns, using a mix of insight-based and body-centered approaches. My style is warm, direct, and real. You won’t get a “therapist mask,” but someone who’s genuinely in it with you. I’ll support you while also gently challenging you to grow. My goal is to help you better understand yourself and create lasting, authentic change.

I graduated with honors from National Louis University with my Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. I received a bachelor’s degree in Special Education in 2013 from Walsh University in Ohio. I taught children with varying exceptionalities and learning differences for five years. I have over ten years of experience working with children and adults with autism, ADHD, and various learning disabilities.

I utilize interventions of various approaches to best assist my clients in accomplishing their individual goals. These approaches include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Person-Centered Therapy, Solution Focused Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Mindfulness Based Therapy, Cognitive Processing Therapy and Narrative Therapy. I am also a certified yoga teacher.

Tara Payne is the owner and founder of Payne Influential Mental Health. She is a board-certified

Psychiatric Mental Health Practitioner (PMHNP). She obtained her Master of Science in

Nursing from the University of South Alabama. Tara has been a Registered Nurse for almost 20

years in which she has been devoted to helping and treating patients with a variety of conditions.

She has specialized in critical care, mental health, and several other acute care specialties. Tara is a Perinatal Mental Health provider through PSI (Postpartum Support International) as well as a Trauma Certified provider. Tara has learned how vital mental health is when it comes to treating a patient as a “whole” person. This has driven her passion to help serve the mental health community and those in need of mental health management.

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