Meet Doug, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and the owner of Palm Harbor Counseling Team, with over 40 years of experience in the field of mental health. Doug's vast experience includes working in Community Mental Health Centers, managing Crisis Intervention Services, Psychiatric hospitals and Outpatient Clinics in Director-level clinical and administrative positions.

Doug has extensive knowledge and experience in the treatment of Schizophrenia and Bipolar disorders, but he now specializes in rapid treatment for individuals with Anxiety and Depression. He has been trained by one of the four founders of CBT-Cognitive/ Behavioral Therapy for the past 10 years, and is one of relatively few therapists currently Certified in TEAM-CBT. In working with Doug, his clients quickly learn what Anxiety really is. Instead of focusing on the symptoms, Doug teaches his clients how to move beyond symptom management to identify and alleviate the sources that cause the symptoms. With powerful tools and techniques, clients learn to change the way they think, which, in turn, changes the way they feel.

Doug is passionate about educating and training students, school systems, and various professional organizations about mental health, particularly suicide assessment and prevention. In the past, he has served as the President of NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness in Pasco County), demonstrating his commitment to community service.

Doug's sessions generally run for 90 minutes, and research shows that this approach can expedite treatment up to four times faster. Doug continually updates his training in CBT, specifically TEAM therapy, which is his primary approach to treatment. He is person-centered, trauma-sensitive in his approach, and believes in developing a strong empathic relationship with his clients. Understanding the impact of the client's experiences is a cornerstone of Doug's approach, whether working with individuals or couples.

Doug's joy comes from seeing people learn and use the tools he teaches, resulting in them feeling better in a matter of days and weeks, not months.

Vivian is a bilingual Licensed Clinical Social Worker who conducts treatment in English or Spanish. She is a graduate of Fordham University School of Social Work and has 35 years of extensive experience working with children, adolescents, adults, couples and their families. She has worked successfully with children with attention deficit disorder, oppositional defiant disorder and conduct disorders helping them learn to become more focused, control their behavior using behavior modification techniques and working closely with their family.

Vivian provides a safe, non judgemental space where a person can feel comfortable. She encourages a person to identify their strengths and builds on those strengths to improve their self-esteem and accomplish their set goals. She assists clients in developing effective coping skills to better overcome any crisis or obstacle. Vivian has completed Gottman Level One Training, which she implements in couple’s therapy. She uses Cognitive Behavior Therapy when working with clients who are depressed or anxious to help them begin to change the way they think to then change how they feel.

Vivian welcomes the opportunity to work with adolescents, adults, couples, first responders, including military, law enforcement , fire fighters and their families. She is empathetic, caring and enthusiastic and is able to engage the most resistant clients.

Se Habla Espanol

Whitney is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with a master’s degree in social work from the University of South Florida and a master’s degree in women and gender studies from the University of Florida. Prior to obtaining her degree in social work, she worked with survivors of domestic violence in Gainesville, Florida for 8 years. Through this work, she gained an extensive understanding of the unique challenges created by experiences of family violence, intimate partner abuse, and sexual abuse. She utilizes a trauma-informed approach to guide the therapeutic relationship and support healing. Whitney also has experience with depression, anxiety, grief, self-esteem, life transitions, and relationship challenges.

As a therapist, Whitney provides a warm, person-centered, and strengths-based approach tailored to each individual and situation. She believes therapy is a collaborative effort fostered by safety, trust, and nonjudgmental support. Her mission is to empower clients to overcome challenges and achieve their goals by supporting them as they develop personal insight, understand how their experiences have shaped them, and increase coping skills.

I have a wide range of expertise with 20+ years of experience in the Mental Health field.

Having worked with private practice to group home and hospice, I am comfortable and have focused my training on enhancing my therapeutic skills and tools in working with wide ranges of challenges people face. I am completely comfortable working with your Anxiety or Depression, to Transitions in life, Grief and loss, Divorce, Adult ADHD as well as issues faced by our Senior population. 

I think you will find me warm and accepting where we can build a trusting relationship through empathy and respect for the challenges you are facing. I am comfortable working with you individually in our office setting as well as through Telehealth.

As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker for the past 17 years, I have
facilitated the healing of people with various concerns including anxiety and depression, mood disorders, attachment disorders, lack of motivation, performance anxiety, low self-esteem, grief/loss, infertility, pregnancy loss, and IVF stress management. I also work with individuals struggling with substance abuse, insomnia, eating disorders, habit control, and relational issues including divorce, dating, breakups, parenting issues, family conflict/relationship problems. 

I have developed strong therapy skills, and am a non-judgmental, compassionate therapist and the people I work with experience great results in short amount of time. I understand the deeper framework of how a person’s life experiences shape them and may be contributing to current symptoms and concerns. I collaborate closely with my clients to develop a sense of safety, trust, and empowerment. I enjoy working with teens and adults and offer in person sessions as well as telehealth. My treatment approaches include cognitive behavioral therapy, family systems, mindfulness, and clinical hypnosis all which shift negative thoughts and emotions and grows internal wisdom.

I have always had a passion for working with individuals and families in distress, with over a decade of experience at various professional levels, based on my bachelor’s degree in Psychology.

The past 3 years I was the Director of a residential 24 bed youth shelter. I have spent most of my career working with individuals in various stages of crisis. It was a natural process for me to subsequently pursue my Masters Degree in Social Work as a progressive transition providing more advanced therapeutic services and wanted to specifically develop advanced skills in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.

Prior to my Director position I worked, for agencies specializing in services for survivors of domestic and sexual violence, Operation PAR in the areas of substance abuse and medication assisted recovery and various other direct care services.

I have learned the importance of patience and understanding as core to effective treatment and you will find my approach is well paced, warm and supportive. I use and will teach you evidence based tools and techniques to start feeling better and interacting with less fear while you grow your confidence as you start to understand and use these tools in your daily life.