Book a therapist or psychiatrist in Valrico, FL covered by Cigna

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.

You have been holding it together for everyone else, and the emotional weight that comes from carrying too much on your own has stopped being manageable. Maybe it is anxiety that will not turn off. Maybe your marriage has gone quiet. Maybe a season of your life ended and you are not sure who you are on the other side of it. I have been sitting with people through exactly this for 40 years. Much of my work is Christian counseling, so if you want your faith in the room, it belongs here. If that is not your path, you are just as welcome. I am licensed in Florida and Colorado and welcome in person patients in Florida!

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.

As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, I have spent the last eight years working with “at-risk” children and adolescents, referred by the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) Diversion programs. I currently work with the Genesis Women’s Clinic assisting antepartum and postpartum moms suffering from Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorder, the Family Care Clinic providing Behavioral Therapy to families and adults, and the Pediatric Clinic at TGH Healthpark.

I received a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from Fort Lewis College, a Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Social Science from the University of South Florida, and a Master’s in Social Work (MSW) from USF. My therapeutic approach is influenced by my clinical training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, and Motivational Interviewing.

I am a licensed mental health counselor providing individual therapy in-person and virtually. I earned my bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Florida and completed my master’s degree in Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling from the University of South Florida.

After completing my undergraduate degree, I worked at a domestic and sexual violence center for three years, providing crisis and individual support to survivors and their children. During graduate school, I gained experience providing counseling in medical clinics and worked alongside adolescent and pediatric physicians. I am passionate about working with teens (13+), young adults, college students, LGBTQ+, and survivors of intimate partner violence and childhood abuse.

I am a licensed clinician offering individual counseling services in-person or via telehealth for adults, adolescents, and children. I earned my master's degree in Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling from the University of South Florida. I am also a National Certified Counselor (NCC) and a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC). My experience includes working with clients from diverse cultural backgrounds across a variety of settings, including integrated behavioral health and primary care.

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 25 years of experience helping clients navigate mental and emotional challenges. I earned both my bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social work from Florida State University. My passion is to provide a safe, non-judgmental space where clients can gain insight into their lives and work toward personal growth and healing.

I am a Masters-Level Clinician providing individual and couples counseling both in-person and via telehealth. I earned my bachelor’s degree in psychology from Eckerd College and my master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling from Capella University. I am a member of the Chi Sigma Iota Counseling Academic and Professional Honors Society, the American Counseling Association, and the American Mental Health Counselors Association.

My experience allows me to work with individuals seeking to improve their mental health. I am passionate about helping teens, young adults, and college students dealing with anxiety, depression, life transitions, self-esteem issues, and trauma.

CJ deeply believes that a person’s past does not define their future. With a potent blend of empathy and expertise, she is passionate about helping individuals uncover their innate resilience and capacity for healing. Her approach is rooted in the belief that even the most painful histories can be transformed into sources of strength.

Having grown up in foster care, CJ brings a lived understanding of adversity—not as her reason for becoming a therapist, but as a quiet source of strength that has shaped her superpower: the ability to sit with any form of trauma without judgment or shock. Her presence is steady, compassionate, and unshakable—able to hold space for stories that are often too heavy for others to carry.

Specializing in trauma-informed and somatic therapies, CJ supports individuals, couples, and families through experiences of PTSD, anxiety, and complex trauma. Her mission is to guide clients toward a life marked by grace, growth, and resilience.

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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