Eduardo Florez, LMHC
Founder & Clinical Director
Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC #MH23066) practicing in Florida with specialized expertise in high-acuity, treatment-resistant populations. Master’s in Applied Psychological Sciences from Pacific University with a specialty in Latinx Psychology. Bilingual (English/Spanish). 96% client retention rate.
Clinical Philosophy
My therapeutic approach is grounded in Adlerian psychology and Socratic questioning, with a person-centered foundation enhanced by Cognitive Behavioral Therapy techniques. My work is shaped by three core principles:
“Paradox Is Truth”
Embracing contradiction as insight. The things that don’t seem to fit together often reveal the deepest truths about how you operate.
“Resistance Is Data”
Using pushback as therapeutic information. When you resist, you’re showing me exactly where the real work needs to happen.
“Influence Is Discipline”
Maintaining professional boundaries while strategically disrupting stuck narratives. Change requires disciplined, intentional intervention.
Therapeutic Approach
I don’t just listen — I strategically disrupt the narrative keeping you stuck. Through Socratic questioning (elenchus method), I help you see the contradictions in your own thinking. When that narrative breaks, behavioral activation follows naturally.
I’m not here to fix you or tell you what to do. I’m here to witness what you can’t see yet and ask the questions that help you see it yourself. The change is yours — I just hold the outside perspective.
When you’re caught in internal chaos, it’s nearly impossible to see yourself clearly. You need someone who can observe from the outside in. That’s my role: maintaining that vantage point when your own view is obscured by emotion, defense mechanisms, or the stories you’ve been telling yourself for years.
Background & Credentials
For those who want the full picture of my training, specializations, and research background.
Professional Background
Master’s in Applied Psychological Sciences from Pacific University with a specialty in Latinx Psychology. Former clinician at Oregon State Hospital. Bilingual (English/Spanish). 96% client retention rate across multiple telehealth platforms. Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC #MH23066) practicing throughout Florida.
Specializations
Treatment-Resistant Conditions: Depression and anxiety that haven’t responded to traditional therapy. High-functioning professionals who have “mastered therapy without transformation.” Complex trauma and relational patterns.
Professional Populations: Executive stress and professional burnout. Physician and attorney-specific mental health challenges. Impaired professionals (physicians, attorneys, pilots under professional monitoring).
Personality & Forensic: Cluster B personality disorders (Borderline, Narcissistic, Antisocial, Histrionic). Forensic populations and criminal thinking patterns. Note: The DSM-5 (American Psychiatric Association, 2013) explicitly states that borderline personality organization tends to stabilize in the late 20s to late 30s even without treatment when the individual finds meaningful work, identity, or relationship roles. This natural remission curve is one reason structured, skills-based work in the 20s and early 30s yields some of the highest returns on therapeutic investment.
Addiction & Behavioral: Addiction and substance use disorders. Eating disorders and body image concerns. Paraphilic disorders. My working mantra with addiction, impaired professionals, paraphilic disorders, and relationships poisoned by contempt is Plato’s line from the Symposium: “To abuse something is to discredit its proper use.” The goal is to restore the proper, life-giving use of sexuality, ambition, intimacy, or substances.
Identity & Relationships: LGBTQ+ affirmative therapy for individuals navigating identity, relationships, and professional challenges.
Research Interests
I have identified language markers associated with therapeutic outcomes, informed by Dr. James Pennebaker’s Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC) research framework. This research background informs my pattern-focused clinical approach. Over the course of analyzing 200+ clinical transcripts (de-identified and aggregated), I’ve identified recurring thematic language patterns that correlate with client resistance, engagement, and eventual change.
For those interested in the research methodology behind pattern-focused therapy, see the Qualitative Research Methods section on the Individual Therapy page.
Practice Model
ShieldMee Inc. operates as a boutique solo telehealth practice serving clients across Florida through multiple platforms (Insurance accepted through Headway. Private pay available through SimplePractice.) while maintaining the highest standards of clinical care and professional ethics. ShieldMee Inc. is a registered 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organization (EIN: 33-2242839). Contributions may be tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.
Serving Stuart, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Tampa, Jacksonville, and all of Florida via secure telehealth.