Dr. Jelyn Young is a Licensed Psychologist. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Clinical Psychology at the University of California in San Diego. She received her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology in San Diego. Dr. Young has extensive experience working with adults, children, adolescents and families, serving populations within inpatient and outpatient, juvenile rehabilitative programs along with other multidisciplinary programs. Additionally, she also has experience working within school systems to address educational challenges, including adjustment, learning disabilities, and ADHD.
Dr. Young’s personal statement: My work is based on the belief that people want to have balanced and fulfilled lives and that they have within themselves the resources to achieve these goals. I believe that psychotherapy can help individuals effectively use resources within themselves to increase self-understanding, to improve decision-making, to resolve problems, and to create new paths to the lives they want. I strive to collaborate with clients to understand their unique situations in a culturally sensitive and competent manner. Whether it’s with the individual or entire support systems, we can all work together to make things better.
Major theoretical approaches I utilize include Cognitive Behavioral, Behavior Modification, Solution Focused, Emotion-Focused, Person-Centered, Motivational Interviewing and Existential.
These approaches are used to address: Depression, Anxiety, Children and Adolescents, Chronic Impulsivity, Coping Skills, Social Skills, Developmental Disorders, Family Conflict, Grief, Learning Disabilities, Parenting, Peer Relationships, Relationship Issues, Self Esteem, Adjustment, Acculturation Conflict, and Testing and Evaluation.
Reviews –
“I want to personally thank you [Dr. Young] for your help during our time of grieving. May the lord bless you and your family.” – Anonymous
Dr. Crystal Blair is a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner and an Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner. She received her Master’s in Nursing at the University of Florida and completed her Postmasters at Florida International University. A majority of Dr. Blair’s professional nursing career has been within the VA Healthcare system. Dr. Blair’s practice philosophy is that of holistic care. She believes in order to keep one well, attention must be given to the interconnection of the physical, mental and spiritual beings. Crystal is continuing her Doctoral studies at the University of Florida, where her capstone is a policy analysis on Florida’s new Controlled Substance Act.
Reviews –
“Dr. Crystal Blair has been the most understanding and helpful compared to many other health resources experienced. The team is caring and resourceful with improving and solving your healthcare needs.” – Anonymous
Dr. Maryam Behdarvandi is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist in the state of Florida with over 25 years of experience in India, Iran, and the United States. She received her PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of Pune, one of the most prestigious universities in India, and has completed additional training in behavioral medicine, psychotherapy, and counseling at the University of South Florida and Tampa General Hospital. She has considerable experience in international and multicultural issues, particularly with college students, having served as the Liaison between the Counseling Center at USF and International Student and Scholar Services. Dr. Behdarvandi has strong communication and interpersonal skills and is fluent in both English and Farsi, offering therapy sessions in both languages.
Dr. Behdarvandi’s areas of specialty include depression, stress, mood disorders, anxiety, grief, relationship concerns, parenting issues, PTSD, and OCD. She welcomes individuals of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds and works with a wide range of patients, offering therapy to individuals, couples, and families through the entire age spectrum including children, adolescents, adults, and elders. Her approach to therapy involves principles from CBT, behavioral therapy, rational-emotive therapy, and acceptance-commitment therapy. Her style is collaborative, using a personalized approach tailored to the needs of each patient to help them to become more mindful, insightful, and harmonious. Dr. Behdarvandi provides a safe and supportive environment for her patients and their families with the highest standards of confidentiality and privacy. She provides a warm, supportive, and non-judgmental space so you can feel respected and comfortable discussing your concerns to achieve your goals and move forward.
Dr. Behdarvandi thinks of her work as a way of helping patients make friends with themselves. She believes that we torture ourselves by holding onto our painful memories. We play endless “recordings” in our minds that create anxiety, depression, or compulsive and destructive behaviors. She views mental health as an approach to promoting wellness, not just relieving mental illness. Dr. Behdarvandi believes that living well has to do with developing the skills and tools needed to face life’s challenges. Happiness is not the absence of problems. Rather, it is the ability to deal with them effectively. If you want to feel better, Dr. Behdarvandi would love to work with you to develop greater resilience, bring healing to painful wounds, and help you create a healthy and meaningful life in an atmosphere of respect and trust.
Brittany Smiley is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in the state of Florida. Brittany received a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice, and a Master’s degree in Applied Social Science with a concentration in Criminal Justice from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU). Brittany also received a Master’s degree in Human Services with a concentration in Mental Health Counseling from Springfield College. Brittany has obtained an abundance of certifications to enhance patient satisfaction. Certifications achieved include, but are not limited to certification in ADHD Diagnosis and Treatment, Compassion Satisfaction and Compassion Fatigue, Trauma Informed Parenting, Trauma Informed Care for Adolescents, and many more.
Brittany has years of experience helping others with depression, stress, anxiety, parenting, self-esteem, family conflict, career counseling, children and adolescent behavioral concerns, child-parent conflict, and difficulty adjusting to life changes. Prior to this, Brittany provided counseling to individuals, families, couples, children, adolescents, and siblings. Brittany has worked with clients with ADHD, who have experienced many types of concerns including abuse and trauma, postpartum issues, women, and young adult issues.
Tisha Blanchard is a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner who obtained her dual Master’s Degrees from Walden University. Her first Master’s degree majored in Adult Acute Care, while her second Master’s Degree is in Psychiatric Mental Health.
Latisha’s mental health care experience has varied in everything from child-adolescent care, to dual diagnosis, as well as treating veterans with PTSD. She has been immersed in working with behavioral health patients in ages ranging from 6 to 86 years of age.
Her philosophy in practice is to collaborate with her patients to achieve the desired treatment goals .
In her free time she is a huge movie buff: “Nothing makes me happier than lounging on the couch and binge watching a great movie or series – it’s my jam! (Insert happy dance). Whenever I decide to leave the house, my second love is traveling. I have seen 47 states in the continental US and have traveled to see a lot of Europe. Little known fact, because I am a military brat, I was born in Amsterdam!”
Maggie Miller is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor. She graduated with her Masters in Art Therapy from Florida State University in 2010. She quickly gained clinical skills working with at risk teenagers ranging from ages 10-18. She moved to Georgia and worked in an outpatient setting with dual diagnosis. It was here that she was introduced and trained in EMDR to address various traumas (chronic, single incident, childhood, and adult). Through these opportunities, Maggie has been able to provide services to families, individuals, and couples.
Upon moving to Tampa, Maggie began working with active-duty service members and veterans. Her approach to therapy includes art therapy, EMDR, cognitive behavioral therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, and solution focused therapy. She uses EMDR to address trauma related to sexual assault, loss of children or spouse, combat, natural disaster, and neglect. Her specialties also include helping clients currently dealing with addictions, anxiety disorders, depression, bipolar, adjustment disorder, conduct disorder, personality disorder, grief, and interpersonal relationship issues.
For fun she enjoys going to events with her family at the zoo, museums, and fairs as well as watching movies, going to local sporting games, and relaxing at home while reading.
Maggie is passionate about helping others and finds her work highly motivating. She understands that asking for help or saying “I don’t know” is one of the bravest things a person can do/say in their healing journey. She considers it an honor to take these steps with you in this moment as you discover what you want your future to look like moving forward.
Dr. Minh-Chau Dang is a Board Certified Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. She attended the University of Washington in Seattle, WA majoring in psychology. After three years at the University of Washington, she changed her major and attended Barry University in Miami Shores, FL where she earned her BSN in 2009. She moved back home in Washington after her graduation and began working as an RN. Her experience as an RN had been in medical/surgical, cardiac procedures, and post-surgeries. Over the years working as a med/surg RN, Dr. Chau saw the important impact of mental health on patients being seen for medical conditions and, oftentimes, she had to engage in therapeutic communication with them. In 2016, she started graduate school at Washington State University in Vancouver, WA and received her doctorate in psychiatric mental health nursing in May 2020.
Dr. Chau is a compassionate nurse who believes in holistic nursing – mental health is as equally important as physical health. She is excited to be practicing in psychiatry, providing holistic, evidence-based treatment approaches to meet patients’ healthcare needs. Her professional goals are to help patients of all ages make small yet important changes toward their mental health and to develop effective coping life skills to improve their overall wellbeing.
In her free time, Dr. Chau enjoys cooking, Zumba, outdoor activities like hiking, sight-seeing, reading, and watching football. Fun fact, she is the only member of her family in the medical field!
Shaquille (Sha-quelle) Edwards is a Registered Clinical Social Work intern in the state of Florida. She received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Bethune-Cookman University (BCU) with academic distinction, and received a master’s degree in Social Work from Walden University. While working on her master’s degree she was accepted into the International Honors Society in Psychology for academic excellence.
Her diverse experience in the mental health field ranges from inpatient treatment, facilitating support groups, case management, grief/loss, individual therapy, and substance abuse. Her experience working with individuals and their families helped her to obtain the necessary skills to address concerns with challenging behaviors; as well as, depression, anxiety, personal internal conflicts and daily life stressors. Her non-judgmental treatment approach is client-centered and solution focused, and includes cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness therapy for helping to deescalate day-to-day challenges.
When she is not working, Shaquille enjoys cooking, practicing meditation, watching various TV series’, traveling, spending time with her dog, family and friends. She continues to find her work inspiring, because she is passionate about helping people develop resilience and coping skills for lifelong healthy habits. Her mottos are “one step at a time” and “take it day by day because nothing happens overnight”. She is excited about continuing to use her skills and experience to help others when life hurts.
Dr. Morgan Swain-Sears received her undergraduate degree from Walden University, her masters rom Florida A&M University, and her doctoral degree from Tennessee State University. Dr. Sears has several years of experience in many different settings, including college counseling centers, private practice, non-profits, and community mental health. She also has experience providing diversity, equity, and inclusion consulting to various entities. She has also provided psychoeducational workshops on various topics, including cultivating wellness with chronic conditions, financial mindfulness, parenting, developing healthy relationships, and navigating challenges for parents and caregivers.
Dr. Sears believes that our communities shape our worldview and lived experiences. As a community and counseling psychologist, her goal is to understand each person’s unique life story and worldview, while also seeking to learn how the environments we live in impact our ability to thrive and survive. She strives to create a space that feels comfortable, affirming, and restorative for clients. Dr. Sears uses a warm, collaborative style to help clients feel heard and understood. Her goal for therapy is to work with clients to identify their existing strengths and combine them with newly-learned skills to create a toolbox of strategies that clients can utilize well after therapy has concluded. To do this, she utilizes a combination of person-centered, cognitive behavioral, multicultural, and strength-based approaches. Additionally, Dr. Sears believes in providing culturally competent, affirming, equitable care to folks of all identities.
In her free time, she enjoys reading, cooking, traveling, and watching scary movies.
Asia Royster is a Registered Mental Health Counseling Intern in the state of Florida. She received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Saint Leo University and received a master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health from the illustrious Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU). Asia was able to obtain both of her degrees on full athletic scholarships as a participant of the women’s basketball programs. Asia also aspires to return back to school to pursue her PhD.
Her diverse experience in the mental health field ranges from inpatient, residential, outpatient, and telehealth clients. Asia has additional experience working with teens, veterans, men, youth, families, elderly, domestic violence, high risk populations, homeless population, substance abuse, mental health and co-occurring clients. Her clinical expertise focuses on trauma, depression, anxiety, and increasing self-care and positive images. As a former collegiate athlete, therapist, and leader, she also supports athletes struggling with mental performance anxiety and role confusion.
When she is not working, Asia enjoys shopping, engaging in spiritual practices, spending time with family, and philanthropy. Asia has also found her passion in coaching the next generation of athletes within the same community she grew up in. She see’s mental health as paramount to life success and enjoys working with individuals who are ready to invest in their future by valuing personal development. In therapy sessions, you can look forward to a high energy and engaging therapeutic process with her as your therapist. She strives to craft a safe and brave space for you to share your past experiences, explore your thoughts and feelings, and teach strategies that empower behavioral changes for healthy living. While progress is important, there are levels to this thing called life and she is here to support you and ensure that you understand the importance of progression not perfection.
Kristofer Gonzalez was promoted to office manager in July 2021. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from USF, and plans on pursuing graduate studies in the near future. His passions are human behavior and philosophy of the mind from both a theoretical and practical perspective. His hobbies include basketball, video games, drawing, and writing. He loves a good story in any form, and he hates pickles.
Melissa Rogers is our billing manager and a member of our front desk staff. Her 13 years of experience in customer service has shaped her passion for having a positive impact on everyone she meets. Melissa attended Pasco Hernando State College’s phlebotomy program, contributing to her interest in nursing and providing compassionate care and support. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with family and tackling DIY projects.
Marissa Kinsler has been a part of our office staff since 2013. She recently graduated with her BS in marketing from USFs Muma College of Business. Branding and creative directing are among her many passions; also, her career goal is to own her own business. Fun fact she speaks conversational Italian!
Jonathan Nativi is a member of Kinsler Psychology front office staff. He has a degree in psychology from Fordham University. He takes pride in always going the extra mile to ensure the best possible care for every patient. He plans on furthering his studies and becoming a Nurse Practitioner specializing in psychology. He speaks 3 languages and he is not someone you want to go up against in baseball trivia.
Andie Meddaugh is a graduate of the University of Rochester with a Bachelors of Science in brain and cognitive sciences and dual minors in psychology and bioethics. She plans on pursuing a PhD in clinical psychology with a focus on neuropsychology in the foreseeable future. Within the field, her interests are primarily centered around cognition, visual processing, and disorders and disabilities of the mind. Aside from psychology, neurology, and ethics, her other passions include art, writing, sewing, and animals.
Heather Frick is new to our front office staff and is happy to be a part of the mental health industry. She plans on finishing her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Florida’s online Psychology program. She strives to create a supportive and compassionate environment for each person she meets. In her free time she enjoys music, baking, and outdoor activities.