Dr. Martinell-Smith contracts with Wellness Psychological Services to offer services in our Tampa office.
Some people call me Dr. Lea, others Dr. M. Whatever you call me, I want you to think of me as your partner on this journey toward change. I am here to work with you and not tell you what to do. Together we will look at several different options to see what type, level, and amount of change you feel ready to make in order to begin the steps to feeling as though you are living the life you want.
I always knew I wanted a career that would enable me to help people. I am grateful for the opportunity to help, support, and encourage individuals and families through the process of change. I use a variety of treatment approaches to fit the individual style of each client.
I often utilize cognitive-behavioral, solution-focused, as well as insight oriented therapeutic approaches. I utilize a family systems approach in order to evaluate and assist the entire family. I have additional training and expertise in the utilization of play therapy in order to better assist children in expressing their thoughts and emotions. I also have extensive experience with law enforcement, first responders, members of the military as well as their families. Helping those members of our society that often put themselves in harms way to help others is an important part of my work.
People seek counseling for many different reasons. Maybe you’ve experienced a traumatic event, life has become more stressful than usual, relationship concerns, challenges at school or work, difficulty balancing everything happening in your life right now, struggles with self-confidence, esteem and potentially self-harm or suicidal thoughts. I am here to help you through the challenges you are facing.
I work with a wide range of concerns so please feel free to call or email to consult about how I would work with your particular challenges. Below are a few of my specialties.
TRAUMA & PTSD SPECIALIZATION
After we’ve experienced a trauma we often struggle with balancing thoughts, emotions, and physical reactions to common daily activities. We try to avoid thinking about what happened, places and people that remind us of the event, and hope it all will go away. Whether we experienced combat related trauma, natural disaster, a personal traumatic experience like sexual assault, or job related traumas like first responders it can be difficult to transition back to a sense of normalcy. Understanding how trauma has impacted our lives and learning skills to manage those thoughts and emotional reactions will be the goal of our sessions.
Research has shown the best way to work through our trauma experiences to a more manageable place is to work with a therapist trained in effective research based treatment approaches. Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) has been shown to be highly effective for those suffering from trauma. A family based approach can also be helpful to understand how trauma to an individual can impact our entire family system. Together we can learn to manage the thoughts and emotions related to the event and learn effective skills to decrease the impact trauma has on our daily lives.
CHILDREN, ADOLESCENTS & FAMILY SPECIALIZATION
Children and Adolescents often struggle with how to communicate what they are thinking and feeling. As a result, they often act out and may feel unable to tell you what they are experiencing. Through counseling, they can learn how to best identify and cope with events they experience at home, school, and in their community.
I am trained in and have extensive experience with using play therapy. Parents are often curious how playing can equal counseling. We are often able to observe behavior through game play that we cannot see during a regular conversation. Play therapy offers an excellent opportunity for behavior observation, correction, and practice. We also often don’t realize how much we actually talk when we’re distracted by a game or other activity, and I am therefore able to gather more information that children would struggle to talk about without the distraction of a game.
Teenagers experience that time in life when we want independence yet also need a safety net to know that we will be supported even when we make mistakes. While the vocabulary of a teenager is more than a young child, teens still struggle to fully understand and communicate to others exactly what they are experiencing.
My philosophy in working with children and adolescents is to also work with the family unit. My personal and professional experience continues to enhance my belief that with family commitment and consistency at home in between appointments, change can happen.
LAW ENFORCEMENT, FIRST RESPONDERS & MILITARY SPECIALIZATION
Growing up in a family with Law Enforcement, Fire Department, and Military veterans coupled with my training, experience, and research with regard to these communities provides me with a unique perspective to help you and your family.
In addition to service members themselves, I have assisted many children and family members of the first responder and military communities to understand the pressures of the job as well as the common reluctance to share information regarding your on duty experiences, common communication struggles, etc. I am available to assist families in adapting coping skills and communication techniques to strengthen family relationships.
Working in the law enforcement and military communities can be rewarding and isolating. Feeling as though the only people who can understand what your job is like are those that serve as you have. While counselors do not always have the same job experience, we have the expertise to share ways to work through the intense things you have witnessed and experienced. We can pair your expertise with mine to help you get back to the place you want in your life and career.
SELF HARM, SUICIDE & EMOTION REGULATION SPECIALIZATION
Many counselors struggle with how to help those struggling with self-harm, suicidal thoughts/behaviors, and difficulty with maintaining stable emotions. My approach to working with those who struggle with intense thoughts and emotions is to find appropriate, healthy, and effective replacement behaviors so we can then begin to work on the underlying causes of the thoughts. We couple that work with learning new coping skills to help us along the way.
Self-harm and suicidal thoughts often arise when we feel completely overwhelmed, as if there is no way anything will get better, and a wish that everything would stop, end, etc. As we work toward healthier physical and emotional expression you will begin to feel as though life and events are more manageable and that you will get through your current challenges.
OTHER PSYCHOTHERAPY SPECIALTY AREAS
- Depression, Anxiety
- Relationship concerns
- Executive Functioning skill building
- Organizational Skills
- Anger Management
- Parent Skills Training
- Test Anxiety