Kristal Otto

I am a warm, collaborative, and strengths-focused Licensed Mental Health Counselor with several decades of experience helping people heal from trauma, eating disorders, and complex attachment wounds. I believe that every person who walks through my (virtual) door already carries the inner resources they need, my role is to help you discover them and build on what's already there. Whether you arrive with a specific goal or simply a feeling that something needs to change, I will meet you exactly where you are. Together, we co-create the path forward in a safe, trusting, and non-judgmental space. I work with individuals and groups, and I offer a discount for military members and first responders.

I am deeply passionate about EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), a modality I was first trained in during the 1990s through the EMDR Institute of America, and have continued to deepen through advanced training ever since. What I love about EMDR is its versatility: we can use it to process painful past experiences, reduce present-day triggers, or prime you for peak performance in the future. My practice is integrative, weaving together Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Narrative Therapy, Attachment-Based approaches, and Strength-Based frameworks — always tailored to your unique needs and history. I specialize in eating disorders and disordered eating, trauma and PTSD (physical, emotional, sexual, military-related, and medical), attachment and relationship patterns, anxiety, mood disorders, OCD, and thought disorders. I am also experienced with Autism Spectrum Disorder and ADHD. I hold a SYMBIS Couples Counseling Certificate and serve as a Qualified Supervisor in the state of Florida.

In our first session, you don't need to have it all figured out. I'll start by getting to know you, your story, what's brought you here, and what you're hoping to feel or experience differently. There's no pressure to dive into the hard stuff right away; we move at your pace. By the end of our time together, you'll have a clearer sense of what we'll work on and how EMDR or another approach might be a fit for you. Most importantly, you'll leave knowing this is a space where you can show up as you are.