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I believe that meaningful therapy begins with feeling seen, understood, and safe, so I want to share a bit about who I am and how I work. I am currently a doctoral student in clinical psychology (PsyD), and I also hold a master’s degree in counseling. My training has included work in a variety of clinical settings, where I’ve had the opportunity to support individuals navigating anxiety, depression, trauma, life transitions, and relationship challenges. At the core of my work is the belief that people are incredibly resilient, even when it doesn’t feel that way. My goal is to create a space where you feel comfortable being your authentic self, while also gently challenging and supporting you toward growth.

Hi, I’m Dariel, a board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner dedicated to helping individuals find balance, clarity, and peace in their daily lives a provider. I deliver compassionate, evidence-based care that supports your healing journey and helps you regain stability in life.

I'm a retired veteran, have been working as a social worker/therapist since 2004, and have been in private practice since 2017. I have extensive and successful experience helping people with trauma/PTSD, relationships, boundaries, emotions, domestic violence, sexual trauma, substance abuse, grief, parenting, and more.

My professional experience is with young adults who struggle with life changes/transitions. Also, young adults who struggle with coping and stress. Individuals who are looking for a safe space to be heard and supported without judgement.

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.

Do you feel broken, beaten down by life's circumstances, trapped in your current existence, or tethered to a life you never wanted? Life can be stressful and overwhelming to ​say the least. You can feel stuck in life and lose hope of ever having the life you dreamed of before the path you were on was changed. Maybe a loved one died, you got pregnant, you lost your job, or you moved away from all your support system to a place where you feel truly alone. Or hell, the whole world gets hit with a sudden virus that hits pandemic heights.

Ever feel like every time you take a step forward, life knocks you down a flight of stairs? Now not only do you have to get back up, but the next step forward is uphill. You may be experiencing difficulty adjusting to the changes in your life. This can be exhausting and very tempting to give up on those dreams you had and begin settling for what life is now. You can feel trapped in a life you hate, doing a job you wake up everyday dreading to go to, and surrounding yourself with people you don't really care for.

What if the things that used to help you relax are not helping anymore and you cannot simply stop? You can feel powerless and stuck in a cycle that will not release you. Sometimes if feels like you can see the world crumbling around you but you cannot stop it. It can feel hopeless. No one deserves to live that way.

​What if I told you it didn't have to be that way? What if I told you that your dreams were still achievable but maybe need some adjustments in order to reach them? Are you ready to break the chains binding you to this unhappy existence? Do you wish to feel free of the stress and anxiety that keeps you feeling stuck?

It is true! You can still achieve your dreams! There may need to be a few modifications but you CAN be HAPPY! I will help guide you as you forge a new path to your dream life. Many times the circumstances in your life that have trapped you are molehills compared to the obstacle you can become to your own success. It didn't happen willingly, but you have begun to tell yourself, "I don't deserve my dream life. It is not possible to achieve it. It's just too much for me to handle. I will get to it later."

Eventually putting your dreams on the back burner leads you to have resentments and regrets. Let's change that trajectory together. We will identify the problematic thought patterns that have sabotaged your dreams and held you hostage. We will challenge them with truth and reality grounding you in the present moment and looking for the things you are grateful for in this life. We will then work together to change those thought patterns to new ones that encourage and create success. We will build you a support system that builds you up, provides your wind to soar, and cheers you on even when you are not feeling like you can rise to the challenge. YOU WILL FLY!!!​

Are you ready to break free, spread your wings, and soar? Call me for a free consultation! Let's set you on your journey to a life you enjoy!

My name is Cora McNeese Nelson and I am an Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) in the state of Florida. I provide counseling services via telehealth which is a fancy way of saying my services all occur through video sessions, phone calls, or messaging plans. This can offer some flexibility in scheduling as neither of us have to commute to an office and I can offer services later in the evening than typical business hours. There are several benefits to telehealth services, but these services are not appropriate for everyone or every situation. Feel free to do a free consultation to find out if telehealth services with me are a good fit for you.