Melissa Zentner, LMHC | St. Petersburg Therapist
Melissa is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in the state of Florida specializing in Trauma Recovery, Performance & Relationship Healing.
About Melissa
Melissa has over twelve years of clinical experience working with children, adolescents, adults, and couples navigating complex emotional challenges—especially when the stakes are high. Melissa helps clients recover from trauma, strengthen emotional regulation, improve performance under pressure, and rebuild trust and intimacy in their relationships.
Summary
Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) — Florida | License Number MH19567
Primary Specialties: Trauma therapy (TF-CBT), court-involved family therapy, trauma assessments, sports performance therapy for teens, sex therapy, infidelity recovery, couples counseling, anxiety and emotional regulation
Location: In-person therapy in St. Petersburg + virtual therapy across Florida
Approaches: Approaches: Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Gottman Method Couples Therapy, person-centered and humanistic approaches, group and intensive therapy
Background: Over a decade working across court-involved services, school-based care, outpatient therapy, trauma assessment, and performance-focused counseling
melissa specializes in
Melissa focuses on working with:
Children recovering from trauma and adverse experiences
Families navigating court-involved therapy, custody stress, or CPS involvement
Teen athletes managing performance pressure, confidence, and emotional control
Adults seeking trauma recovery, emotional regulation, or personal clarity
Couples rebuilding trust after infidelity, betrayal, or emotional disconnection
High-performing individuals and families facing complex, high-pressure situations
St. Petersburg clients appreciate Melissa’s calm presence, clinical clarity, and ability to stay grounded and effective—even in emotionally intense or legally complex environments.
Melissa’s Approach to Therapy
Melissa blends evidence-based modalities with a structured, goal-oriented style. Sessions are intentional, emotionally safe, and focused on helping clients feel more regulated, clear, and empowered.
She focuses on:
Trauma recovery using TF-CBT and trauma-informed frameworks
Strengthening emotional regulation and impulse control
Helping couples rebuild trust, intimacy, and communication
Supporting athletes with confidence, focus, and mental resilience
Providing clear clinical insight in high-stakes systems
Creating practical, sustainable treatment plans tailored to each client
Melissa works collaboratively—offering individual, couples, group, or intensive therapy when appropriate—to support meaningful, lasting change.
What Melissa Helps Clients With
Melissa supports St. Petersburg clients experiencing:
Childhood trauma and adverse experiences
Court-involved family therapy and trauma-informed assessments
Custody-related stress and complex family systems
Anxiety, impulse-control challenges, and emotional dysregulation
Teen athlete performance pressure, confidence, and focus
Infidelity recovery, trust repair, and intimacy concerns
Adults exploring sex therapy and relational connection
Generational trauma and childhood traumatic grief
Melissa’s Background and Training
Melissa earned her Master’s degree in Counselor Education with a concentration in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina.
Her professional experience includes:
Trauma-focused therapy for children and adolescents using TF-CBT
Court-involved family therapy, CPS-related cases, and custody matters
Conducting trauma-informed assessments used in court and legal systems
Providing clinical testimony and objective documentation when required
School-based outpatient therapy and child day treatment programs
Leading group therapy focused on emotional regulation and self-control
Supporting families impacted by generational trauma and traumatic grief
Performance psychology work with elite and competitive athletes
Clinical supervision of graduate-level practicum and internship students
Her advanced training includes:
Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) through the North Carolina Child Treatment Program
Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics (NMT) through The Child Trauma Academy
Level 1 Training in Gottman Method Couples Therapy
Specialized training in sex therapy and infidelity recovery
Ongoing education in trauma-informed, relational, and performance-based care
Melissa is also an accredited premarital provider in Hillsborough County, Florida.
A Message From Melissa
“Whether you’re a parent trying to support a child, an athlete striving to perform at your best, or a couple rebuilding trust, therapy should feel grounded, purposeful, and supportive. My goal is to help you understand what’s happening beneath the surface—and give you the tools to move forward with confidence and clarity.”
Ready to work with Melissa?
We invite you to schedule a FREE CONSULTATION with us to begin your healing journey.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is couples therapy actually effective after infidelity, or is the relationship usually over?
Yes — couples therapy can be highly effective after infidelity when both partners are willing to engage in structured, evidence-based work. Recovery is not about “moving on quickly,” but about rebuilding emotional safety, understanding the rupture, and repairing trust over time.
Melissa specializes in working with high-functioning couples using Gottman Method Couples Therapy to help partners stabilize emotions, reduce reactivity, and create clear steps toward repair, accountability, and renewed intimacy.
Can couples therapy help with intimacy and sexual connection after trust has been broken?
Yes. Infidelity often disrupts both emotional and physical intimacy. Melissa integrates couples therapy with sex-positive, trauma-informed work to address desire differences, sexual avoidance, resentment, and reconnection — even when nothing feels “clinically wrong,” but the relationship feels disconnected.
I’ve never been to therapy — how do I know if this will actually help me?
Many high-performing individuals seek therapy not because they are struggling outwardly, but because internal pressure, stress, or emotional patterns are limiting performance. Melissa works well with clients who value efficiency, structure, and clear outcomes.
Therapy focuses on understanding what’s happening beneath the surface, strengthening emotional regulation, and improving performance under pressure — not vague or open-ended conversations.
How does mental performance therapy help teen athletes?
Mental performance therapy helps teen athletes manage pressure, regulate emotions, recover from mistakes, and maintain confidence in competitive environments. Melissa works with high-school, club, and collegiate-level athletes to strengthen focus, emotional control, and mental resilience — skills that directly impact performance and long-term development.
Do you work with court-ordered or court-involved therapy cases?
Yes. Melissa has extensive experience providing court-involved family therapy, trauma-informed assessments, and clinically sound documentation when required. She understands the emotional and legal complexity of custody disputes and approaches these cases with professionalism, objectivity, and care.
Locations Served
Melissa offers in-person therapy at our St. Petersburg office and serves clients throughout:
Downtown St. Petersburg
Greater Tampa Bay
Clearwater
Largo
Pinellas Park
Seminole
Gulfport