Ivana Ayala-Esslinger, Ed., LMHC offers Psychotherapy and workshops to Martin County, St. Lucie County and Palm Beach County and virtually across Florida and Globally for some services. 

 Who I Commonly Work With

I commonly work with adults who are therapists, healers, helpers, or caregivers in some capacity and who are navigating grief and loss related to bereavement, divorce, estrangement, breakups, major life transitions, or accumulated relational and emotional losses. They commonly experience compassion fatigue and burnout. 

Many feel overwhelmed by family responsibilities and the ongoing pull to care for others while neglecting themselves. They are often highly reflective and curious about how family history, generational patterns, and ancestral influences shape their current emotional life.

Clients may experience restlessness, chronic tension held in the body, fatigue, physical pain, frequent sadness or crying, and symptoms that show up as anxiety or depression when the nervous system has been under long-term strain.

I provide therapy for people who have spent years masking, adapting, producing, and pushing through — and who are now noticing the cumulative impact of chronic overfunctioning on their emotional and physical wellbeing.

 

Other Services

In addition to psychotherapy, I separately offer emotionally focused Akashic Record Readings for individuals who are seeking spiritual or personal insight into ancestral themes, life patterns, and strengths.

Akashic work is not psychotherapy, not mental health treatment, and is not used to diagnose or treat mental health conditions. It is offered as a spiritual or personal exploration and is kept distinct from licensed therapy services.

 

 

When This Work Is a Good Fit

This work is often a good fit for people who want space to explore their emotions, patterns, and ways of living, and who are curious about how past experiences, culture, belief systems, and nervous system responses influence daily life.

This approach tends to work best for individuals who understand that therapy can be challenging at times and who are willing to engage in that process with guidance and support.

Clients often benefit most when they are open-minded, willing to explore both emotional and body-based experiences, and interested in therapy that is emotionally attuned, spiritually respectful, and practically grounded.

This may not be the best fit if you are seeking highly structured or manualized treatment, crisis-level support for psychosis, detox or active suicidality, or ongoing insurance-based care. 

This work is not primarily focused on quick symptom reduction or short-term coping tools, but on deeper, sustainable change. 

At its core, this work focuses on how grief and chronic over-responsibility shape the nervous system and emotional capacity over time.”

 

Therapeutic Approach & Style

My therapeutic approach is trauma-informed, grief-attuned, and grounded in nervous system awareness. I integrate cognitive, somatic, mindfulness-based, and creative practices to support clients in understanding their inner world while developing practical ways to relate differently to stress, loss, and emotional overwhelm.

I integrate cognitive, somatic, mindfulness-based, and creative approaches to support clients in understanding their internal patterns while developing more flexible and sustainable ways of responding to stress, loss, and overwhelm.

I draw from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, and Internal Family Systems to help clients notice and shift unhelpful thought patterns, while also recognizing that insight alone is often not enough. Body-based and mindfulness practices are used to support regulation, restore capacity, and address the physical impact of long-term stress, grief, and chronic adaptation.

My work is especially informed by contemporary grief theory and depth-oriented perspectives on loss, meaning-making, and restoration, including the work of David Kessler and Francis Weller.

Sessions tend to be collaborative, spacious, and responsive rather than rigid or protocol-driven. I adapt the pace and tools to each client, with attention to emotional safety, curiosity, and sustainable change.

Credentials, Training & Professional Preparation

 

I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in the state of Florida (License #MH22887), and I work with adults and children ages 10 to 17. 

My professional training includes:

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

• Internal Family Systems (IFS)

• Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

• Trauma-informed care and the Adaptive Information Processing (A-TIP) framework

• Mindfulness-based approaches

• Emotional Freedom Techniques (Tapping)

• Yoga Nidra for rest, regulation, and nervous system recovery

• Grief and loss–informed therapy

• Creative therapeutic arts

• Youth Mental Health First Aid Past Facilitator
   

I integrate these approaches flexibly and ethically, based on client needs, goals, and readiness, rather than applying any single method as a one-size-fits-all solution.

In addition to my clinical training, I have completed emotionally focused Akashic channeling training. This training informs my spiritual and reflective work, which is offered separately and is not psychotherapy and only when explicitly requested by clients seeking non-clinical, spiritual exploration.

 

Where to Go Next

 

If you’re exploring therapy related to grief and loss, chronic restlessness, or ongoing fatigue, you can learn more here:
Therapy for Helpers and Healers –Lilypad Counseling and Wellness Center

​

If you are seeking Akashic Records Information learn more here: The Akashic Record

​​​

I do not provide crisis-level care, emergency services, or intensive trauma processing without appropriate stabilization and support.  Please contact your nearest hospital, 911, 988 or mobile crise response.