Diana Brazzeal, Intern in Florida
Greetings, I’m Diana Brazzeal – As a wife and mother of three adult children, I am passionate about hope, healing, and growth. I appreciate that you are taking the time to consider counseling. Life is challenging, and we all need support. My goal is to meet you where you are with an open heart and a safe space. With a strengths-based, culturally sensitive, and God-honoring perspective, I firmly believe you have inherent worth. I am convinced that you are valuable, worthy of respect, acceptance, and understanding. Your thoughts, feelings, and lived experiences matter. I grew up in the Tampa area and have recently returned after spending several years living overseas and stateside as a military spouse and working with service members in substance use education and outpatient recovery. More recently, I have worked and volunteered in church and parachurch Christian ministries serving women, students, and children. I respect your cultural background and offer you the choice of whether you want religious faith or spirituality to be a part of your counseling experience.
I want to acknowledge that there are so many circumstances in life that can feel out of control, stressful, and unmanageable: family dynamics, school, friend groups, social situations, marriage, parenting, or even developmental stages inherent with going through adolescence, young adulthood, middle or late aging. You may be experiencing hardship and pain beyond your capacity to bear; it has been my experience and research agrees that having supportive relationships can make a positive difference.
If you’ve been hurt, victimized, or betrayed, it can seem as if everything has fallen apart. You may be feeling isolated and lonely, or full of guilt, shame, and regrets…There is hope. These intense situations and emotions do not have to consume you.
I think every person should have an individualized treatment plan tailored for what you want to focus on. I want to work collaboratively with you to find, define, and accomplish your goals. I respect that you may be questioning, and I want you to know that counseling is an investment that can be one of the best self-care decisions you make.
Education
BA - Psychology with minors in Sociology and Spanish (University of South Florida; Tampa, FL)
MEd - Counseling and Personnel Services (University of Maryland College Park; European Division)
Pursuing an MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (Liberty University; Lynchburg, VA)
Post-graduate Training and Education
Trainings and conferences focussed on addiction, group therapy, and grief
Stephen Ministry training
Experience
~ Provided counseling to individuals and groups in a variety of clinical settings, including:
3 years serving clients who participated in outpatient substance abuse treatment in a military setting
2 years as a Program Administrator and Addictions Educator
~ Treated substance use disorders, trauma, grief, depression, anxiety, and eating disorders as a previous Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and Nationally Certified Counselor (NCC)
Primary Therapeutic Approaches