Carolyn Drakas , LMHC

Carolyn Drakas is a licensed mental health counselor in Florida who helps people manage stress, anxiety, addictions, relationship struggles, grief, self-esteem, eating and sleeping difficulties, and parenting concerns. She draws on 22 years of experience to offer steady support and practical guidance.

She focuses on respectful, compassionate care. Conversations are shaped around each person's needs. Carolyn listens first, then helps set small, realistic goals to make change feel doable.

Her approach mixes talk and hands-on techniques. She uses evidence-based methods like cognitive behavioral techniques to challenge unhelpful thoughts and dialectical skills to manage strong emotions. Attachment-based ideas help people understand how early connections affect current relationships.

Sessions are collaborative. Clients can expect clear explanations, skill practice, and check-ins on progress. The work often involves learning new coping tools for stress, improving communication, and building steadier routines for sleep and eating.

Carolyn adapts plans as people change. She supports parents working through role strain and people facing grief or addiction without judgment. Her goal is to help clients leave sessions with something practical to try between meetings.

Over two decades in practice have given her experience with a wide range of issues, including chronic illness, caregiver stress, body image, commitment and control issues, and trauma from disasters. She offers services in English and accepts international clients when appropriate.

Therapeutic approaches you can use online

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy helps people notice painful thoughts and feelings without getting stuck in them, then commit to actions that match their values. It is useful for anxiety, stress, and problems like avoidance that get in the way of life. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy focuses on identifying and changing unhelpful thoughts and behaviors, which can ease anxiety, improve sleep and support better eating habits.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will talk with each person about goals, preferences, and what has or hasn’t helped before. Together they decide which strategies to try and adjust the plan as progress is made so the approach fits the person's life and needs.

Online sessions use video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to make therapy more flexible. Video is useful for full conversations and skill practice, phone can fit a quick check-in or lower bandwidth, and chat or text work well for short updates or when typing feels easier. These options help people fit sessions around work, caregiving, travel, or sleep schedules while maintaining regular contact with a licensed professional.