Yvette E. McDonald, LCSW-QS
- Apr 16
- 4 min
Growing up in a family where transitional life changes, anxiety and depression were common, I understand how anxiety, life changes and depression can affect how we view where we are in life or how we view ourselves.
I want to be able to meet patients where they are in these life stepping stones. I want to help you or your child navigate these emotions at different stages of life and gain the understanding of how normal these feelings are. I want to give my patients the confidence and tools to tackle these emotions and understand there is no time restraint when and where we are supposed to be.
Hello, I am Jaimie, Therapist at Traveling Light Counseling in Port St. Lucie, FL.
As a clinician, my therapy style is kind, understanding, and genuine. I am a down to earth, relatable and easy to talk to type of therapist (at least that's what I'm told), while also being an active listener. I will meet you where you are and only push you when necessary. My goal is to create a balance of understanding, growth, and application of skills to allow a more healthy productive life.
If you find yourself struggling with how to improve situations of anxiety, depression, increase self esteem, or any other emotion that comes with children growing up, I am the right therapist for you. My style involves teaching your child/teen/college student how to look at a situation or behavior and apply a variety of different skills to decrease sadness or nervousness and handle things/situations/people with confidence.
My Specialties
I specialize with children, teens, college students and adults of all ages who present or struggle with the following:
Children on the spectrum of ASD
Children who have Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) or adults with Attachment Disorder.
Children, teens, college students and adults who are having other mental and behavioral issues such as ADHD, ODD, depression and anxiety.
I utilize cognitive behavioral therapy as well as client centered to allow more than “a quick fix” but a long lasting change that allows clients to accomplish their goals on their own time. In addition to CBT I utilize anger management techniques, play therapy techniques and client centered therapy to have productive and educational therapy experience. Currently, I am working on my DBT certification and am excited to bring that skill set into the room with my clients.
Background
I grew up in Connecticut and moved to South Florida in 2011. I received my undergraduate at Palm Beach Atlantic University in 2014 in Psychology with a minor in Spanish. I received my Masters of Counseling with a concentration in Mental Health in 2014 from Nova Southeastern University.
When I am not working as a therapist, I enjoy being outside, hiking, and swimming at the beach. I love being outside and doing yoga to help reset my mind! The reason I got into therapy was to be able to help people who need that extra support. I love learning how the brain works and learning coping skills and other CBT techniques to aid in restructuring the mind.
Family: I have the enjoyment and pleasure of visiting my family often in Connecticut. I am a very family oriented person, so living away can be difficult at times. I reside here in Florida by myself and enjoy time with my boyfriend.
Occupation: I thoroughly enjoy being a counselor for all ages, but especially my little friends! Working and learning new interventions and techniques only makes me enjoy my job that much more.
Recreation: I enjoy going up to see my family. I enjoy spending time outdoors hiking, being on the beach, paddle boarding and learning to surf. In addition to outdoor activities I enjoy working out and trying new things. I work hard at creating a space where I can relax and gather myself to prepare myself for the week.
Work life balance is KEY!
Dreams: My dream is to create and make a home away from home environment here in Florida. I also desire to travel to different places, meet new people and create memories with my loved ones. My professional goal is to be the best counselor I can be, providing my patients with the skills to feel like they can conquer anything life throws at them.
Want to learn more about this concept of FORD? Check out this Ted Talk "Meet as Strangers Leave as Friends" where John DiJulius talks about a cool rapport building technique.
Learn more about what I do and how I help children/teens and college students.