Dr. Daniela De Medeiros, Psy.D, MS.Ed

You’re tired of explaining yourself. To doctors, to family, to people who mean well and still don’t get it. You’re the strong one, the responsible one, the person everyone leans on, and nobody sees what it’s costing you.

I’m Dr. Daniela De Medeiros, a clinical psychologist in Miami with over a decade of experience working with teens and adults from all walks of life. I work with people navigating anxiety, panic disorder, depression, ADHD, trauma, low self-esteem, grief, life transitions, identity, family conflict, relationship struggles, women’s issues, and the emotional weight of chronic illness and chronic pain. I hold a doctoral degree in clinical psychology (Psy.D.) and a master’s in mental health counseling, with specialized training in health psychology. I’m also trilingual and conduct sessions in English, Portuguese, and Spanish.

Most people who find me are exhausted, a little unsure therapy will even help, and carrying more than they let anyone see. You don’t have to have it all figured out to start.

I’m a therapist who will call you out. Kindly, but I’ll do it. If you come in with a really polished, intellectual explanation for what’s going on, I might point out that the explanation could be a way of staying in your head to avoid the uncomfortable feelings underneath. I don’t believe in being a blank slate. The relationship has to be real and genuine for real change to happen.

My clients often tell me they feel seen and understood in a way they haven’t before. A lot of the people I work with are used to being the strong one, the one who holds everyone else together. Teens tend to open up with me because I meet them on their level instead of talking down to them like another adult who doesn’t get it.

My approach is holistic and integrative. I draw on mindfulness, cognitive behavioral therapy, and other evidence-based approaches, and I adapt them to whoever’s actually in front of me. Some sessions are practical and skills-focused. Others are slower, where we sit with something hard and trace where it comes from.

If you live with chronic illness or chronic pain, you already know how it feels to be told “but you don’t look sick,” or to have medical care turn into a second full-time job. I have specialized training in health psychology, and this work is often about more than coping. It can mean grieving the body or the life you thought you’d have, learning to advocate for yourself in a medical system that’s dismissive and exhausting, and finding a better quality of life alongside conditions that aren’t going away.

The first session is mostly me getting to know you. I’ll ask what brought you in, along with some history, so I understand you in the context of your whole life and not just what’s happening right now. You don’t need to have it organized or know exactly where to start. By the end, we’ll have a sense of what you want to work on and how I can help.