ELIZABETH MAHANEY: TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE • Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) with a specialty in marriage, parenting, children and couples. • M.A. Degree in Mental Health Counseling with a concentration and dual enrollment in Marriage and Family Therapy. • B.A. Degree in Psychology from The University of South Florida. • Florida Supreme Court Certified Family Law Mediator. Training from The University of South Florida. • University of Tampa minor in marketing with concentrations in athletics and personal growth. • Clinical Consultant at Worker’s Health. • Cognitive Behavior Therapist (CBT) for various mental health issues and medical issues including pain management, fibromyalgia and chronic pain. • Certified as a Master Neuro-Linguistic Programming Practitioner among other therapeutic applications. •Founder and CEO of Real L.I.F.E. inc. Where Real Learning Is Found Everywhere~ A Non-Profit Organization~ . • Entrepreneur & Author. • Ph.D in C.h. • National Certified Counselor (NCC). • Completed Level 1 Training in Gottman Method Couples Therapy. • Qualified Supervisor • State Approved Clinical Supervisor for B.A. and M.A. Registered Interns/ Practicum/ Field Study Students. • SOS (Sequential Oral Sensory) Certified for Feeding/ Eating Issues and Assess for Development, Learning, Behavior, Cognition, Nutrition, and Environment. • Holistic Health Coach focusing on Lifestyle, Wellness & the Psychology of Eating and Nutrition. • Former President and Director of The Missing Piece of Counseling and Well-Being, Inc. A non-profit Organization. • Experience working with several different types of clients and organizations including; *Private Practice. *Success for Kids and Families Inc. - a community wrap-around strength based program. *Kathy's Place- a center for grieving children and families leading both adult and children's groups. *The Children's Cancer Center bereavement and oncology support team. *Served on the Board of The Tampa Bay Association for Psychotherapists and affiliated with several different professional organizations (see Affiliations link). *Member of Chi Sigma IOTA- International Counseling Academic & Professional Honor Society. ABOUT MY SERVICES “I enjoy working with individuals, couples, families, teens & children. I provide therapy in a comfortable, flexible, and down-to-earth manner. I have a sense of humor when appropriate and tend to be easy going, gentle, and supportive. I am honest, non judgmental, a great listener, and highly confidential. I'll let you know what I hear going on. I will give you suggestions either for how we can approach your problems together, or for ways you can deal with them yourself. You won't be alone in the work that we do together - I will be an active participant in your therapy. If some part of your life is not working for you, maybe you've received poor instructions. The good news is we can re-educate ourselves. GOAL: Recover satisfaction in all your relationships, including with- yourself! I can also help when you just need a new perspective on a situation. I'll tell you if I think that you are following any patterns and suggest ways to interrupt those patterns. I welcome the opportunity to use my skills to help enhance your existing lifestyle, and to teach you and/or your family members the process for getting the very best out of life”.

Families Benefit When Children Play! Just as adults feel better when talking through their problems, Children Play! Playful Therapy in St. Pete, Fl provides children the space and experienced counseling to help explore, express and work through their situation in their own way. This allows for increased confidence and creative problem solving skills. Through play therapy, children learn to manage their feelings, thoughts, and experiences. Children regain a sense of control and safety in their lives, which leads to increased self-understanding and better relationships with friends and family. Play Therapy is not just for children! Adults benefit from exploring their concerns in artistic and expressive ways as well. Sometimes, talking is just not enough. When a problem in our lives arise, it is more than helpful to be able to stand back and view it from many different angles. That is what Play Therapy allows. Sand Tray work allows the creator to build the world that is being experienced currently. Through discussion and reflective observation with a trained therapist the creator has the ability to change or even just recognize obstacles that are causing barriers to moving forward. It is powerful, and empowering in a way that can only be experienced. Other art creations allow the same, in a different way. Sometimes, we just don’t really know how to verbally express what is REALLY the problem, logic and emotion work together. It can be very helpful to allow your right brain to assist in life.

Advantage Mental Health Center provides general psychiatric and addiction recovery services in a confidential, comprehensive, compassionate manner.  Services include psychiatric evaluations, medication management, psychotherapy, counseling, and medication and counseling based addiction recovery services.  Advantage Mental Health has a team of dedicated, highly-qualified physicians, psychiatric nurse practitioners and mental health counselors who are committed to providing outstanding patient care.  Advantage Mental Health is open 8:00 am to 8:00 pm, Monday through Thursday, and 8:00 am to 4:00 pm, Friday and Saturday.

ADULT INDIVIDUAL THERAPY Do you want to heal the pain from the past and experience the life that you want in the present? Do you want to learn how to cherish your partner and live in peaceful harmony? Do you want to work through past traumas, change dysfunctional family patterns and shed outdated defenses? Problems in life are unavoidable, but suffering is a choice. Trying to elude the pain of life's challenges can leave you stuck in stress, anxiety, and depression. As we navigate troubled waters, the last thing we may be thinking about is the opportunity to grow. My approach to therapy offers clients more than just short-term band-aids to cure symptoms. I utilize experiential techniques to bridge the gap between the verbal, problem-solving part of our brains and the nonverbal, intuitive, emotional part. Both parts help us to identify the sources of problems, and develop new patterns and skills for handling them. While I focus on the whole client, not just the presenting problem, some of the areas I specialize in include: * Anxiety * Bereavement * Chronic medical conditions * Depression * Family-of-origin concerns * Self-esteem issues * Trauma resolution / PTSD * Workplace concerns COUPLES THERAPY Do you want to forgive past injuries and rediscover that couple holding hands? Most couples struggle finding the balance between the “we” and the “me”. Too much “we” and the sense of self becomes blurred; too much “me” and there's not enough glue (intimacy) in the relationship to keep it together over time. Emotionally-focused couples treatment emphasizes valuing and validating each other. I honor the wisdom in each of my clients; you will not be judged. Our work together will take you from blaming and alienation, to engagement, connectedness and security. Research shows couples with a 5:1 ratio of positive / negative interactions build up a resilient "emotional bank". Learn communication skills, conflict resolution techniques, and how to cultivate the loving behaviors to get to the magic ratio. Some of the issues I've been able to assist couples in tackling are: * Blended families * Communication problems * Divorce prevention * Internet & sexual addictions * Parenting concerns * Relationship issues ADOLESCENT THERAPY Figuring out who you are, and who you want to be is a major undertaking at any age. For teens, the task of self-definition is fraught with possibilities and perils. Together, we will work to help you develop a healthy sense of self, and establish goals and patterns to set you on a course for a happy and productive life. Areas of focus may include: * ADD / ADHD * Depression * Giftedness * Parental separation and divorce * Peer relationships * School failure

Areas of expertise: ■Individual and Couple Counseling ■Addictions, Eating disorders, Self-Mutilation In home interventions ■Post-traumatic stress ■Expressive and Healing Art Therapy ■Depression, Anxiety, Phobias, Sexual Identity Issues ■Relationship issues ■Mind Body disorders ■Sexual Trauma and Deviancy It is my belief that life throws us many different situations and circumstances, some of which we can deal with ourselves and some of which we need an outside source to help guide us along the way. Asking for help by society is viewed as a crutch, but in essence asking for help is the strongest characteristic we could have within ourselves. Not asking for help symbolizes the ultimate form of weakness and fear. By admitting our imperfections and need for help it is my belief that we enable ourselves to live fuller and happier lives. “We neither get better or worse as we get older, but more like ourselves.” Buddha

Success for Steps is a consulting agency serving the needs of today's stepfamilies. Founded by Christina Roach, the goal of Success for Steps is to recognize the experiences of those living in step relationships and assist in making those experiences the best possible. With this aim, Christina is committed to each and every one of her clients as evident in the services she provides. Our passion is to help individuals, couples, and families make their experience in 'step' a successful one. We do this through providing education, awareness, and supportive counseling & coaching to help these relationships become stronger and thrive. Whether you are a stepparent, step-grandparent, child, or biological parent living in step, Success for Steps works with you in finding effective solutions that fit your life. During her graduate studies, Christina Roach realized that traditional marital and family therapy models offered little to no emphasis on the unique dynamics of stepfamilies; what makes Success for Steps unique is that we have a distinct focus on stepfamilies. STEPMOM SUPPORT GROUP held every month!

Working with individuals, couples, and families. Life is a journey of discovering more about yourself and your connection with others. There are difficult situations along the way, and you may just want to discuss some things, or you may be really struggling with a particular situation that you would like to work through. Either way, you will find that counseling is an investment in yourself and one that will always payoff as long as you keep using the tools. Sometimes just a few sessions can be really helpful, and other times things may take awhile longer. It often takes time and commitment to make changes.Anything worth doing takes effort. You can make changes in your life and feel better. Office sessions available weekly and some weekends. Counseling or Life Coaching, provided with insurance or self-pay. Conditions and situations where counseling can help - Therapy for depression, sadness, anxiety and bipolar - Counseling for stress reduction, relaxation, breathing techniques - Treatment for better communication, anger management, and coping patterns - Relationships, relationship therapy, co-dependency and relationship patterns - Family therapy and family dynamics - Exploration of emotions and feelings - Holistic treatment, life coaching, life confusion and life direction - Mind, body and spirit counseling - Biofeedback training EMDR