Feel Seen, Heard, and Understood in Your Relationships
Struggling with communication, trust, or feeling disconnected? Alexa helps individuals and teens in St. Pete heal patterns, build confidence, and create healthier relationships—with others and themselves.
You Deserve to Feel Happy in Your Relationships – Let’s Make That Happen Together.
Relationships, whether with a partner or with yourself, can be some of the most fulfilling yet challenging parts of life. If you’re facing misunderstandings, unresolved past experiences, or the daily pressures that seem to erode happiness, it’s normal to feel stuck and unsure about how to move forward.
Whether you’re navigating the highs and lows of a romantic relationship or working on a deeper, more compassionate relationship with yourself, we understand the unique struggles each path can bring. Our approach to counseling is designed for individuals, offering tailored support to help you ditch unhelpful patterns, develop healthier communication, and build secure attachments.
For Individuals: Sometimes, building a fulfilling relationship starts with understanding yourself. We work with individuals who want to explore their relationship patterns, overcome personal barriers, or navigate feelings of loneliness or self-doubt. By strengthening your relationship with yourself, you’re setting the foundation for healthier, happier connections with others.
Let’s take that first step together. Schedule a free consult, and let’s talk about how we can best support you.
Free Guide: 3 Signs You’re Stuck in a Relationship Pattern (And How to Break Free)
Feel like you keep ending up in the same relationship dynamics—no matter who you're with?
You're not broken. You might just be running an old pattern. This free, therapist-created guide will help you:
Understand your attachment style and how it shows up in love
Identify inner patterns keeping you stuck (like people-pleasing, shutting down, or overgiving)
Learn practical tools to break the cycle and build healthier, more secure connections
✨ Created by Alexa Derby, RMHCI — a therapist who specializes in relationship issues, communication, and self-worth in St. Petersburg, FL.
You're Not Alone If You've Experienced…
Relationship Patterns That Leave You Drained
Push-Pull Dynamics: Constant back and forth—one minute you're close, the next you're shutting down or pulling away.
Codependency: Losing yourself in trying to fix or please others, afraid to disappoint or set boundaries.
On-Again, Off-Again Relationships: Feeling stuck in a cycle of breaking up and getting back together without real change.
Emotional Disconnection: Struggling to feel safe enough to open up—or like you're always “too much” when you do.
Fear of Abandonment: Worrying people will leave, so you either cling too tightly or push them away first.
Communication That Just Doesn't Work
Shutdowns in Conflict: Freezing or going blank when things get tense, then regretting not speaking up.
Explosive Arguments: Going from 0 to 100 because the smallest thing sets off big emotions.People-Pleasing: Saying “yes” to avoid conflict, even when it costs you your peace or self-respect.
Misunderstood or Mismatched: Feeling like no matter how hard you try, you're never quite on the same page.
Struggling to Be Seen: Like you’re shouting underwater—talking but not really being heard.
The Overlap That Nobody Talks About
Sometimes it’s not just about the relationship—it's about the way you relate.
Your attachment history, past trauma, and the stories you tell yourself all shape how you show up with others. If you’ve felt stuck, reactive, or like you’re “too much” or “not enough,” therapy can help untangle those patterns and create space for the relationships you actually want.
Signs You Might Benefit from Relationship Therapy in St. Petersburg, FL
You might be feeling:
Stuck in relationship patterns that leave you hurt or confused
Unsure how to express what you need without starting a fight—or shutting down completely
Constantly second-guessing yourself or replaying conversations
Overwhelmed by big emotions you don’t know how to manage
Disconnected from your partner, friends, or even yourself
Like you’re “too much” when you speak up or “not enough” when you stay quiet
If any of this feels familiar, you’re not alone—and you don’t have to keep navigating it on your own. Therapy can help you understand your patterns, build better communication, and create more secure, fulfilling relationships.
How Relationship & Communication Therapy in St. Petersburg Can Shift the Way You Relate
Right now, your relationships might feel confusing, tense, or just plain exhausting. You’re trying to connect, but something keeps getting in the way—whether it’s old wounds, unspoken resentment, or the fear of saying the wrong thing.
With the right support, you can shift these patterns. Relationship therapy isn’t just for couples—it’s for anyone who wants to understand themselves more deeply and build stronger, more secure connections. Alexa specializes in working with individuals in a 1-on-1 setting to help them understand how they’re showing up in relationships and how to build healthy connections.
What You Can Expect:
Understand Your Patterns: Learn why you shut down, people-please, or blow up—and how to respond differently
Communicate More Clearly: Say what you mean without fear, guilt, or second-guessing
Heal Old Wounds: Work through past relationship pain that still impacts how you show up today
Strengthen Emotional Regulation: Learn how to stay grounded when things feel intense
Develop Healthier Boundaries: Know where you end and others begin—without losing connection
Build Self-Worth: Feel more confident in who you are, with or without a partner
Alexa’s Approach to Relationship & Communication Therapy
Alexa doesn’t follow a script or push one-size-fits-all advice. Her work is warm, collaborative, and rooted in creating a space where you feel truly seen and heard.
Evidence-Based Techniques That Actually Work:
Person-Centered Therapy: Your story and goals lead the way—this is your space
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT): Build tools for navigating emotional highs and lows
Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT): Learn to hold space for uncomfortable emotions while moving toward what matters
Mindfulness-Based Practices: Slow down and reconnect to your body and values
Solution-Focused Therapy: Get unstuck and start taking meaningful steps forward
Why This Approach Works:
Alexa specializes in the emotional and relational layers beneath communication struggles. She knows it’s rarely about “just saying it better.” It’s about feeling safe, seen, and supported—within yourself and in your relationships. And she’s here to walk with you every step of the way.
Therapist
Alexa Varbel
Registered Mental Health Counselor Intern (post graduate)
Individual Therapy
Specializing in Anxiety, Depression, ADHD (Teens & Adults), Life Transitions, Relationship Issues, and Self-Esteem Support.
Alexa Varbel works with teens and adults (16+) who want better relationships—with others and with themselves. Whether you're navigating romantic partnerships, family struggles, or healing past attachment wounds, Alexa helps you make sense of what's been happening and what healthy connection can actually look like.
Why Alexa is Different:
Relational, not clinical—conversations that feel human, not scripted
Client-centered care focused on emotional safety and insight
Specializes in working with men who are new to therapy
Integrates trauma-informed care with real-life relational skills
“We are born in relationship, we are wounded in relationship, and we can be healed in relationship. Marriage is not a static state between two unchanging people.”
-Herville Hendrix
Start Therapy For Relationship Issues
Schedule Your Free Consultation
No pressure, no sales pitch—just a genuine conversation about what you're going through and how we can help. This is your chance to ask questions, share what's been happening, and see if Alexa feels like the right fit.
Connect With Alexa
Once you're scheduled, you'll meet with Alexa either in our comfortable St. Petersburg area office or through a secure online session. She'll listen without judgment and help you understand how therapy can support your specific goals.
Start Your Therapy Journey
This is where real change starts to happen. Together, you'll explore what's keeping you stuck and begin building the tools, strategies, and inner calm that will transform how you build and keep healthy relationships.
What Makes Our St. Petersburg Practice Different
Private Pay Practice (No Insurance Hassles)
We're a private pay practice, which means:
No insurance limitations on the type or frequency of therapy you receive
Complete confidentiality—no diagnosis required to be shared with insurance companies
Flexible session scheduling that works with your life
Superbills provided for potential out-of-network reimbursement
HSA/FSA accepted for convenient payment
Convenient Location Serving All of St. Petersburg
Our therapy office is conveniently located in South Pasadena, FL easily accessible from:
Downtown St. Petersburg
Northeast St. Petersburg
Pinellas Park
Gulfport
Treasure Island
And surrounding Pinellas County areas
We also offer secure online therapy sessions for clients throughout Florida who prefer the convenience and comfort of virtual appointments.
Who Does Alexa Work With?
Alexa works especially well with:
People stuck in on-again-off-again relationships
Men who want support but don’t want it to feel “therapy-y”
Teens/young adults learning to navigate identity and connection
Those struggling with communication, attachment wounds, or low self-esteem
Whether you're untangling complicated relationship patterns, trying to express yourself without shutting down or blowing up, or simply longing to feel more connected—Alexa brings a calm, nonjudgmental presence to help you sort through it all. Her approach is warm, collaborative, and down-to-earth, making therapy feel like a conversation, not a clinical process. You don’t have to keep navigating this alone—real change starts when you feel safe enough to be fully yourself.
Frequently Asked Questions About Therapy
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Great question! We are a private pay practice and considered “out of network.” We’re happy to give you a superbill so you can get reimbursed, which all depends on your "out of network benefits." All of our therapists are specializes in their own unique areas and range from $75-165 a session.
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No, Alexa offers individual therapy only. However, many of her clients come to therapy to explore their role in relationship dynamics—whether they’re dating, navigating a breakup, or working through long-standing patterns from past relationships. Therapy with Alexa can help you gain clarity, shift unhelpful cycles, and feel more grounded in how you show up with others.
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Studies have shown that 90% of the change that you’ll experience is due to the relationship you build with your counselor. SO, we do a free first session with everyone to make sure you dig us and we dig you and, most importantly, that we will be helpful.
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With a growing staff of experts who specialize in a myriad of issues, our counselors range from $75-$165 per session. A typical "session" will last between 45-60mins. We always suggest blocking out 60 minutes on your calendar :)
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Alexa specializes in helping people work through communication struggles, people-pleasing, emotional overwhelm, attachment wounds, and low self-esteem. She supports clients who feel stuck in the same arguments, tend to lose themselves in relationships, or feel unsure about how to express their needs without conflict.
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Not at all. Alexa works with clients on all types of relational challenges—including those with family, friends, and coworkers. Many people also come to explore their relationship with themselves, which often lays the foundation for healthier, more fulfilling external relationships.
You deserve more than the leftovers in your relationship. You deserve the whole friggin meal.
Whether you’re working on self-love, navigating a breakup, or trying to break the same old cycle—Alexa’s here to help.
Book your free consult below and let’s figure out if it’s the right fit.
Visit Our Counseling Center in Florida
Physical Address: 1615 Pasadena Ave Suite #330 South Pasadena, FL 33707
Hours
Monday–Friday 9am–8pm
Phone
(727)-940-9538
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