Meet Our Team

Leadership

Fort Myers, FL

Naples, FL

The Woodlands, TX

Elizabeth Muniz, LMHC, RPT-S, is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Registered Play Therapist Supervisor and is co-founder of Thrive Therapy. Elizabeth received her Bachelors Degree in Psychology with a minor in Women’s Studies from Florida International University in Miami, FL. She continued her education and graduated from Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, FL with her Masters Degree in Mental Health Counseling. Upon graduation, she worked extensively with victims of sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse and neglect providing them with individual, group and family counseling.

Currently, Elizabeth works with clients who experience difficulties with depression, anxiety, trauma, loss, divorce, behavioral issues and significant life changes. Elizabeth uses a variety of proven techniques in her counseling session that help process such experiences and promotes healing. She specializes in the treatment of childhood mental health and behavioral concerns through the use of play therapy interventions. This highly unique specialization makes her and Thrive Therapy the leading practice for play therapy in Lee and Collier County and the surrounding areas. She is a specialist in sand tray therapy and has received extensive training with this therapeutic intervention that can be used with children, adolescents, adults and families. She is also trained in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), the leading research supported therapy for the treatment of trauma and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder.

Elizabeth has been a presenter at the Florida Association for Play Therapy conference and at FGCU’s Annual Children and Youth Mental Health Conference. She served as a board member and as the co-chair of the Public Awareness Committee for the Florida Association for Play Therapy. She is a member of the Association for Play Therapy, the International Association for Sandtray Therapy, and the EMDR International Association.

Elizabeth is passionate about her work and is devoted to helping her clients attain unique solutions to their specific situation. Therapy is a collaborative process that is highly effective in alleviating symptoms. Forming a strong alliance with a client based on trust, genuineness, and care can create a safe and respectful environment that can be potentially life changing.

Elizabeth is bilingual and fluent in English and Spanish and is comfortable conducting therapy in both languages.

Rachel Stewart, LMHC, RPT-S, is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Registered Play Therapist Supervisor and co-founder of Thrive Therapy. Rachel graduated top of her class from the University of Central Florida with her Masters Degree in Mental Health Counseling and Certificate in Play Therapy. Upon graduation she worked at a residential psychiatric hospital for children and adolescents, providing crisis stabilization for the acute inpatient treatment and partial hospitalization programs as well as providing individual and group counseling services to children in intensive residential treatment struggling with severe mental health and behavioral concerns.

Rachel has extensive experience providing counseling to children, adolescent, and adult survivors of sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse, and neglect. Rachel is trained in Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), the leading research supported therapy for the treatment of trauma and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder.
Rachel specializes in the treatment of childhood mental health and behavioral concerns through the use of play therapy interventions. Rachel addresses concerns of anxiety, aggressive outbursts, defiance, grief, parental divorce, trauma, ADHD, and low self-esteem with child centered play therapy and cognitive behavioral play therapy. This highly unique specialization and credential makes her and Thrive Therapy the leading practice for play therapy in Lee County and the surrounding area. She is the co-chair of the Public Awareness Committee for the Florida Association for Play Therapy.

Rachel also has a history of working with adults and young adults who have a history of anxiety, depression, grief, parenting issues, trauma, divorce/separation, and struggling with transitioning to college through the use of Cognitive Behavioral, EMDR, Client Centered, and Solution Focused therapies.

Rachel is an established presenter in the mental health field. She has presented on “Creativity in Counseling” at the annual conference, Krimes Against Kids; “Domestic Violence and Play Therapy” at the annual conference for the Florida Association for Play Therapy; and “Play Therapy and Trauma” at the annual Florida Gulf Coast University Children’s Mental Health conference.

Rachel is the author and creator of the book and therapeutic kit Zack and Zoie Safe Zones: A Guide to Help Keep Children Safe™ a prevention education and trauma processing tool for children.

As co-founder of Thrive Therapy, my passion is to help individuals reach their full potential. I provide counseling to children, adolescents, adults, and families through an accepting, empathetic, and client centered approach. I believe therapy is a collaborative process where we can work together to understand and process the challenges life presents. Choosing a counselor that best fits your needs can be overwhelming. My goals is to make the process stress free by doing everything I can to meet your expectations.

Elizabeth McDowell is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Florida and a Licensed Professional Counselor in Wisconsin. Elizabeth is a native Floridian who received her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Florida Gulf Coast University in 2011. She continued her education at Liberty University and graduated at the top of her class with her Masters degree in Professional Counseling in 2015. Elizabeth has been working as a therapist in private practice since 2015, and has also worked as a Psychology teacher at a technical college for several years.

Elizabeth is a highly relational and integrative therapist, in that she utilizes various evidence-based, therapeutic techniques including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Emotionally Focused Therapy, Mindfulness-based strategies, and Play therapy. She has a passion for developing the unique characteristics and strengths of the individuals she works with, to help them achieve the emotional, behavioral, relational, and spiritual lives they desire. She has a knack for connecting with individuals in a meaningful way, which allows her to encourage her clients to learn self-acceptance, while also challenging themselves toward change.

In her experience as a therapist, Elizabeth has had the privilege of working with a variety of different clients and issues, but her areas of expertise include working with families, children, adolescents, and couples. Her experience has also included a focus on depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, relationship conflict, self-esteem issues, and family issues. She also enjoys working with people who consider faith and spirituality to be an important aspect of their lives.

Elizabeth’s goal is to create a warm, accepting therapeutic environment that helps her clients address and resolve issues at the root, while equipping and empowering them to reach their goals.

Alyssa Biestek, LMFT, is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in both Florida and Texas. She attended Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, FL,  where she obtained her Bachelor’s of Science in Applied Professional Studies in 2016 and her Master’s of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy in 2018. Through her education on families and relationships, Alyssa highlights the importance of viewing each client’s life through a systemic lens. She understands that every behavior makes sense in context and that a client’s environments and relationships have an impact on who they are.

Since graduating, Alyssa has been providing care to adolescents and their families as well as adults. She has extensive training in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) and Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) which has allowed her to treat individuals who are survivors of traumatic experiences. Alyssa also has experience treating depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, ADHD, and conduct disorders in both teenagers and adults. Common symptoms Alyssa treats include, suicidal ideations, self-harm, low self-esteem, anxiety and panic attacks, lack of motivation, emotion regulation, trauma, and behavioral control.  She has a passion for working with children and teens from ages 10-18, as well as their families to help each individual grow in their own way. She understands that when working with children, it is equally important to work with their parents and/or guardians.

Alyssa believes the biggest factor of change in therapy is the therapeutic relationship she can develop with her client. She takes time to build a relationship with each individual she sees, which includes learning about their interests and hobbies and incorporating those into session, using client centered language, being authentic, highlighting client strengths, and role modeling healthy boundaries and communication with them.  She tends to practice from a strength based, solution focused approach and focuses on working collaboratively with each of her clients.  As much as Alyssa provides therapeutic intervention and support, she also understands that her clients can also teach her new things, so she is constantly growing and evolving as a therapist.

Natalia Owens, RMHCI, is a Registered Mental Health Intern, who moved to Fort Myers, Florida from Tucson, Arizona. Natalia’s first Master’s degree is in Linguistics and International Communication, which she received from Armavir Linguistic University, Russia in 1998. Natalia received her Master’s Degree in Community Counseling from the University of Phoenix, in Tucson, Arizona in 2011. Natalia conducted her practicum and internship with Arizona’s Children Association through Las Familias department, an expert provider of treatment for sexual abuse. Upon graduation, from 2012 through 2021 Natalia stayed with Las Familias as a crisis counselor and a long-term therapist to provide trauma treatment for children victims of crime and their families. Natalia specializes in treatment of complex PTSD in children and adults as well as in working with their families to help family as a unit to understand and connect with their loved ones and to heal from traumatic events. Natalia is fluent in English and Russian.

Natalia’s passion is working with children and families as well as adult individuals who have experienced both developmental needs and sexual and physical abuse trauma. Natalia works with victims of sexual and physical abuse, victims of assault and rape, as well as victims of internet-related crimes against children.

Natalia currently works with both children and adult clients who have experienced symptoms of depression, anxiety, sleep disturbances, victim blaming due to trauma and significant life changes, as well as with parents seeking consultation and psychoeducation about how to understand and support their children who experience emotional and behavioral challenges and struggle to create a balance between life, school and work.

Natalia is extensively trained in Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, which she uses as a foundation for trauma treatment. Natalia utilizes Neurosequential Models of Therapeutics premise, follows principles of person-centered therapy, and implements various techniques such as play therapy, sand tray therapy, elements of art therapy, family therapy, and mindfulness based practices. Natalia is trained in EMDR (part I and II). Natalia’s goal is to create a supportive, judgement-free space for clients to grow and learn from their traumatic experiences to achieve their full potential.

Cassandra Colosimo, RMHCI, is a Registered Mental Health Intern. Cassandra received her Bachelors Degree in Psychology with a minor in Sociology from Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, FL. At Florida Atlantic University, Cassandra completed her honors thesis on “Diagnosing Autism Spectrum Disorder Using the Theory of Mind Hypothesis.” She continued her education at Florida Atlantic University and graduated at the top of her class with her Masters Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Cassandra was a founding committee member that helped reinstate a mentorship program through the Counselor Education program at Florida Atlantic University.

Cassandra has previous experience working with families who have children on the Autism Spectrum. Cassandra emphasizes the importance of a family-centered approach that allows parents and caregivers to become better equipped to regulate their children and strengthen their relationships. She believes incorporating the family unit into the child’s work allows for generalizing new skills to various environments through parent modeling techniques.

Cassandra has a passion for working with children and adolescents and utilizes evidence-based techniques to meet the individual where they are at. Cassandra incorporates various therapeutic techniques, including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Client-Centered Play Therapy, and Mindfulness-based strategies in her current clinical practice. Cassandra has worked with clients across the lifespan presenting with neurodevelopmental disorders, depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, behavioral concerns, and relational distress.

Cassandra believes to enhance positive growth within an individual’s ability to explore and express emotions starts with cultivating a safe, accepting, and warm environment. She believes in the importance of therapy being a collaborative process where individuals learn to express themselves in a healthy way and gain tools to overcome life’s challenges.

Brittany Kearns, RMHCI is a Registered Mental health Intern who moved to Fort Myers, FL from Arizona. She attended the University of Colorado where she graduated with honors and obtained her Bachelor’s of Science in Communications. Brittany received her Master’s degree in Professional Psychology with an additional year of study in faith-based counseling. She has extensive training in trauma-informed therapy and strongly believes in the brain’s phenomenal ability to repair itself. Brittany has avidly studied the mind-body connection and is passionate about helping individuals on their journey of personal growth and self-discovery. She specializes in Internal Family Systems (IFS) in which we confront the parts of ourselves that are at odds with each other and begin to heal from the inside out. Brittany is fully certified in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), the leading research supported therapy for the treatment of trauma and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder.

Her work is primarily with adults and adolescent clients, she understands the detriment that unresolved trauma can have on the mind/body. Brittany utilizes a combination of Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and EMDR as the foundation of her therapeutic approach. She treats fear, depression, and anxiety as misunderstood messengers that are ultimately trying to guide us toward wholeness. Having struggled with these things personally, Brittany understands just how debilitating and restricted our world can become if left unchecked. She believes a secure, authentic connection is the foundation for healing. Brittany’s goal is to create a collaborative alliance with her clients and equip them with the tools necessary to empower growth and lasting transformation.

Sabrina Sullivan is our administrative assistant who greets all of our clients as they walk in the door. Originally from Oregon, Sabrina recently moved to Florida with her family in early 2023. She’s been working in healthcare, non-profits, and women and children resource centers for the last 7 years. Sabrina graduated from the University of Oregon in 2020 with a double major and double minor bachelors degree in business, legal studies, sociology, and economics. While in college and throughout her professional career, she has always made time for volunteer work in her community. Sabrina loves working with clients because she loves to be a small part in their journey to better their mental health. She also enjoys seeing all the excited faces of the children who walk into Thrive Therapy to have play therapy; she’s always ready with paper and coloring materials if they’d like before their appointment. Sabrina is who you will be speaking with when you call or send us an email, as well as the last person you will see as you walk out the door. Her goal is to make each clients experience with communications and billing as smooth as possible and to help new clients find the best therapist at Thrive Therapy that fits their needs.