How Can I Help?
Anxiety, Depression, Career Counseling, Men’s Counseling, Grief Counseling, Low Self-Esteem and more...
About Joel Schmidt, MA, LMHC
My name is Joel and I'm a Therapist, a husband, a dog dad, a Navy Veteran, and an Entrepreneur. I might be a good fit for working with you if you're struggling with relationship problems (personal or professional), problematic drinking that you want to get in check, career-related issues, expressing and regulating emotions, or major life transitions. I have a special interest in helping people overcome anxiety that gets in the way of normal life functioning (OCD, panic attacks, excessive rumination or worry, social anxiety, specific fears & phobias, and so on).
Entrepreneurs, executives, high-achieving professionals, actors, athletes, and students are all among some of the individuals I work with. People say they like my collaborative and solution-focused approach. Although listening is certainly and important part of the job, I try to take a very collaborative and active role in the therapy process. This means, I'll be honest about my observations, I'll tell you what I think, and I'll provide ideas for strategies and interventions you can start implementing in your life for positive changes right away! I love helping people
I started Float on Counseling as a small one-person operation in 2017 and have since grown into a multi-office group practice. I’m from Nebraska originally, but spent most of my adult life in Florida and I currently live in South Carolina. I can see clients virtually in either state. I'm most passionate about travel, learning new things, coastal living, experiences over things, live music, college football, and of course good food and drink.
Why I became a Counselor?
I knew I wanted to be a Counselor from an early age. I had my first experience in Counseling when I was about ten years old as my family was dealing with some difficulties and I found the experience to be so helpful…Having a neutral person to open up to and to provide perspective outside of my bubble of friends and family was powerful and really helped me deal with some of the hard things I was going through. I remember thinking then that I someday wanted to be able to provide the same kind of space for people.
As someone who has had to figure out anxiety from first-hand experience, I'm extremely knowledgeable and passionate about helping others overcome the same struggles. If you're dealing with specific fears/phobias, panic attacks, excessive worry, social anxiety, or general anxiety issues, living a more fearless life is possible and I can help!
Education, Experience, and Approach
Float on Counseling, LLC – Owner & Counselor
I am Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Florida. I received my Master’s Degree in Mental Health Counseling in 2013 and have a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Nebraska. Before launching Float on Counseling in July of 2017, experience included: Supervising a clinical team at DACCO’s Felony Drug Court Program, providing therapy services in a residential setting at Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health, and working as a Therapist at “A Counseling Center” in Melbourne, FL. My approach for therapy is collaborative and solution-focused. This means I work with people to identify problem areas, establish goals, and make a plan for moving forward and getting unstuck.
I utilize mindfulness-based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy strategies that allow us to interact more effectively with unwanted and unhelpful thoughts. As it relates to anxiety disorders, I use an evidence-based and structured approach to help people understand their anxiety and learn the most effective strategies for coping and expanding the experiences they are able to take on in life. When it comes to issues surrounding excessive or problematic drinking, I take an alternative approach rooted in harm-reduction and moderation instead of traditional abstinence-based models that lean heavily on AA/12-step philosophies.
See link for South Carolina License Verification: Registration Number 1474
See link for Florida Licensed Mental Health Counselor Verification: License Number MH14643