About Cynthia

I completed my undergraduate studies at the University of Florida in Gainesville, FL and in 2008 earned my Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology. From there, I chose to complete my graduate training in Orlando, FL at the University of Central Florida’s CACREP-accredited program, where I studied in a dual-track program for Marriage and Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling. In 2012, I earned my Master of Arts degree in Counselor Education, and soon after began my career as a mental health therapist in the Orlando area.

Since my graduate studies, I have completed additional training and continuing education, in a continuous effort to be current and up-to-date with therapies that best support my clinical practice. I have received Gottman’s Level 1 certification for couples counseling, and more recently in my career have been trained extensively to provide Attachment-Based Family Therapy (ABFT) to families with adolescent youth. Additional training includes the following modalities: Dialectical-Behavioral Therapy (DBT)-informed; Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT); Motivational Interviewing (MI); Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).   

My experience as a mental health counselor began during my graduate studies, where I completed two practicums at UCF’s Community Counseling Clinic. Following these training experiences, I completed my clinical internship at two sites, The Center for Drug-Free Living, Inc. (formerly known as, currently Aspire Health Partners), where I provided individual therapy and group therapy services to eligible adolescent and adult clients in outpatient and residential settings; and the BETA Center, Inc., an alternative school for pregnant and parenting female adolescents, where I provided individual and group therapy services.      

Upon graduating from my training program, I worked at a variety of treatment settings and received a breadth and depth of experiences providing therapy services to the local community. I worked in the community mental health setting for two years at Human Services Associates, Inc. (now closed), where I provided outpatient substance abuse counseling to adolescents which included individual therapy and family therapy. I then chose to open my own private practice, Moment to Moment Counseling and Wellness, LLC, where I provided individual therapy services to adolescent youth and adults presenting with mental health conditions and life changes, including but not limited to mood disorders, anxiety disorders, trauma, substance abuse disorders, life transitions, and relationship issues. Concurrently, I worked for 2 years at a long term residential facility for adolescent male youth referred by Florida’s Department of Juvenile Justice, where I provided individual therapy, family therapy and group counseling.    

I would describe my primary areas of specialty to include adolescent youth, particularly those who have experienced the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as families with adolescent youth experiencing the effects of adolescent self-harm behavior and suicidality. Additionally, my expertise includes parenting skills and coaching parents who are experiencing the impacts of life stressors.  

   Conceptually, I view each person through a systems lens, which means I consider the impact of all intersecting spheres of influence upon an individual, including their family-of-origin (FOO), their access to resources (and accessibility of resources), their chosen family and/or their social support system, and all institutional influences perpetuating systemic oppression, such as racism, sexism, homophobia, able-ism, and class-ism. Persons of all backgrounds, regardless of age, ethnicity, nationality, religion, race, sex, sexual orientation, gender, ability/disability, and criminality are all eligible for my services upon determination that they are clinically appropriate for my services, and are only referred to other providers due to cases of harm to self or others, or in those cases where another provider may be more suitable to meet their clinical needs.