In-Office in Cocoa Beach, Florida or Online via PSYPACT Telehealth Across 40+ States
Find Your Way Back to Peace from Stress, Anxiety, and Depression.
Clarity, Compassion, and a Path Forward.
A space to be heard, and a plan to heal.
Schedule Your 15-Minute Consultation
Take the first step—schedule a brief call to see if this is the right path for you.
- No pressure: This is just a brief chat to see if we are a good fit.
- You ask, I answer: Feel free to ask me any questions about my approach.
- Simple logistics: We’ll discuss availability, rates, and how to get started.
When the weight becomes too much to carry
You don’t have to do this alone. We often use the word “stress” to describe the feeling of being overwhelmed, but biologically, it is your body’s way of responding to the many demands placed upon you. For many women, this doesn’t just feel like “pressure”—it feels like carrying a weight that never lifts.
- Levels 1–4 (Flow): This is where you feel capable and engaged. Your body provides the energy you need to care for your family, manage your career, and handle daily life.
- Level 5 (The Tipping Point): This is where the world starts to feel too loud. Your mind begins to loop, focusing on “what-ifs” and worries. You may feel a constant need to fix things or anticipate everyone’s needs.
- Level 6 (Withdrawal): You may find yourself pulling away from the things and people you love. Activities that once brought you joy now feel like just another task on a list.
- Level 7-10 (The Physical Toll): Your body begins to speak what your mind cannot. You may experience brain fog, a heavy tightness in your chest, or a racing heart. You might feel exhausted but unable to sleep, struggle with stomach distress, or feel disconnected—as if you are watching your life happen from a distance.
When you are stuck in these higher levels, it can lead to deep anxiety or a sense of depression. It is a sign that your nervous system is exhausted, and you deserve a path back to yourself.
Hope is a pathway forward, held with kindness
Hope is more than a wish; it is having a clear goal and a gentle pathway to reach it. In our work together, we honor both the need to process your experiences and the need for practical tools to change how you feel.
Goal 1: Finding Your Center (Emotional Regulation), Responding not Reacting.
We focus on helping you feel safe and steady in your own body. We take the time to talk through what you are experiencing, but we also focus on emotional regulation. You will learn how to quiet the physical “alarm” of stress and gain the skills to shut down the racing thoughts on command, allowing you to find moments of true rest.
Many women find that once they regain this sense of internal calm, they feel empowered to navigate their lives with a renewed sense of clarity and peace. They have met their goals and continue their journey with new skills and do end therapy.
The Pathways
However, for those with life challenges that require extraordinary skills to manage, we can move into a pathway tailored to your specific needs:
- The Trauma Pathway: For women processing the impact of childhood maltreatment, sexual or physical abuse, or catastrophic accidents. We use formal clinical approaches (such as TRAUMA Informed Therapy and IFS) to help you process trauma (PTSD, CPTSD) and regain your sense of agency.
- The Relationship Pathway: For when tension with family, partners, or colleagues is draining your spirit. We focus on breaking the cycles of reactive communication and learning new skills to foster connection and peace.
- The Life Crisis Pathway: For those navigating a difficult season—such as a divorce, a health diagnosis, or a significant loss. We provide a supportive space to process the pain while making the current situation tolerable and creating a plan for recovery.
- The Neurological Disorder Pathway: For women managing ADHD, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Chronic Pain, or FND (including IBS.) We work with the brain’s natural ability to build new pathways (neuroplasticity) to clear the fog and learn new skills and cope. We specialize in the Brain-Gut connection.
- The Chronic Anxiety Pathway: For some anxiety has been a way of life. Many of my recovered patients struggled for decades. Anxiety can morph itself into multiple forms of anxiety disorders until Panic Disorder sets in. It can be stubbornly persistent through many attempts to resolve it therapists, medication, meditation, yoga and Vagus nerve stimulators. Dr. LaVine has a structured program where he will leverage all those attempts and will help you find a way to retrain your anxious mind. Neuroplasticity rewards perseverance.
A Space for Healing
Time to process, tools to grow.
I believe that healing requires a balance of empathy and action. Our sessions provide a compassionate environment where you are truly heard, combined with a structured, short-term program designed to help you see real change in 4 to 8 weeks.
- Phase 1 (Weeks 1–4): We focus on the physical side of your well-being. We work together to quiet the physical tension and “alarm” so you can breathe again.
- Phase 2 (Weeks 4–8): We focus on your inner narrative. You will learn to gently interrupt the thoughts that fuel worry and self-criticism, replacing them with a sense of agency and self-compassion.
About Dr. Roger LaVine
Grounded Empathy and Lived Experience.
I am a 71-year-old licensed psychologist, and my approach is rooted in the belief that no one is beyond recovery. My journey has been one of both high achievement and deep healing:
- Lived Compassion: I spent 15 years rebuilding my own life after a catastrophic accident left me with a brain injury and significant physical trauma. I understand the patience and kindness required to heal a nervous system that has been pushed to its limit.
- A Father’s Perspective: As a father who raised three sons, I have a deep respect for the emotional labor and dedication women bring to their families and relationships.
- Professional Dedication: I have spent my career studying the intersection of the brain and the heart. I graduated at the top of my doctoral class at age 58 because I believe it is never too late to find a new way forward.
I don’t use “psychobabble.” I offer a warm, goal-directed partnership to help you reclaim your peace and your future.
You are worth the investment
I limit my practice to 20 hours a week to ensure I can offer my full presence and heart to every person I work with. If you are ready to find your way back to peace, let’s begin that journey together.
Frequently Asked Questions
What modalities of cognitive therapy do you provide in addition to CBT?
CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) is the first-generation blueprint that taught us how thoughts drive feelings and behaviors. While it is foundational, I also utilize the “next generation” of cognitive therapies, including MBCT (Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy), DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy), and ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy). These modalities use the same CBT foundation, but instead of forcing you to fight or change your thoughts, they teach more advanced ways to achieve emotional regulation and respond to life’s demands with clarity.
Do you offer specialized treatments for Trauma, OCD, or Memory issues?
Yes. Dr. LaVine is skilled in 17 different modalities and brings the right tool to the job. Many of these specialized therapies work in conjunction with MBCT to provide a comprehensive recovery plan. Examples include:
- Trauma: Trauma Informed CBT, and IFS (Internal Family Systems).
- OCD: Exposure Therapy.
- Brain-Gut Issues: Hypnotherapy.
- Life Purpose & Meaning: Existential Therapy.
- Personality Issues: Schema Therapy.
- Memory & Attention: Targeted Cognitive Therapy.
How does Brain Retraining based on neuroplasticity differ from traditional talk therapy?
Brain retraining leverages neuroplasticity—the brain’s ability to reorganize and form new pathways—to target two specific areas critical for emotional regulation: the sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight) and the attention centers.
The sympathetic system, especially the amygdala, becomes conditioned to react automatically to certain triggers—often sensations such as tone of voice, facial expressions, or bodily discomfort. This reaction is not voluntary; the amygdala releases stress hormones into the body, creating physical symptoms like tension, chest tightness, or adrenaline surges. These stress hormones shift the brain’s focus to the perceived threat or possible solutions, causing worry and anticipation to loop repeatedly.
Traditional talk therapy relies on reasoning and cognitive strategies (“top-down” processing) to calm these reactions. However, when the nervous system is highly aroused, cognitive efforts often fail to override “bottom-up” (sensation-driven) emotional responses. How effective is it to simply tell yourself to calm down? Most people find it doesn’t work when they’re overwhelmed.
Brain retraining addresses this by teaching you to turn off the stress response and activate the parasympathetic system (“rest and digest”), which is the biological opposite of fight or flight. This process interrupts the conditioned amygdala response and stops the flow of stress hormones.
Training the attention centers provides you with the skill to be present in the moment and let go of looping thoughts. Instead of being pulled into worry and anticipation, you learn to anchor your attention, breaking the cycle of reactive thinking and regaining emotional regulation.
In summary, brain retraining directly changes the underlying neurological circuits responsible for stress and attention, whereas traditional talk therapy may be limited when working only at the cognitive level.
Is this a long-term commitment?
No. I provide a short-term, target-driven program. Most clients meet their initial goals of emotional regulation and “responding rather than reacting” within 4 to 8 weeks. Once you have regained your agency and focus, we determine if you are ready to move forward on your own or if you require one of the specialized pathways (Crisis, Neurological, Relationship, or Trauma).
Do you offer telehealth or in-person sessions?
I offer both. My office is located in Cocoa Beach, Florida, for in-person visits. I also provide secure, HIPAA-compliant telehealth sessions via PSYPACT, which allows me to practice in over 40 states. This is ideal for busy professionals or those navigating a crisis who need high-level care from the privacy of their home or office.
Can you help with relationship tension if my partner isn’t involved?
Absolutely. The Relationship Pathway focuses on changing your interpersonal interactions and reactive patterns. By learning to respond rather than react, you change the dynamic of the relationship from your side, which often stops the cycle of tension and allows you to face life’s challenges as a team.
Office Location: 1980 N. Atlantic Ave. Suite 826, Cocoa Beach, FL 32931
Dr. Roger LaVine, Licensed Psychologist | Telehealth Specialist
