Steven is the owner/founder of Montesinos Counseling Services and a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (MH10873) in the State of Florida. He is trained in various therapeutic and counseling approaches, techniques, and mental health assessments. He is also a member of the American Counseling Association, a professional association dedicated to promoting ethical standards in mental healthcare practice.

For more than 20 years, Steven has had a strong interest in working in mental health, and while in college, he decided to pursue this interest as a career. He graduated from the University of North Florida with a degree in Counseling Psychology and has gained experience working with clients of varying ages, genders, sexual orientations, faiths, education, ethnicities, and cultural backgrounds. He has provided psychotherapy and counseling within various settings, including personal and career counseling centers and a residential alcohol and drug treatment center. Additionally, he has experience working with several populations and groups, including adults, young adults, college students, athletes, multicultural groups, those in recovery from alcohol/drug dependence, and LGBTQ+ individuals.

He uses a combined or integrated psychotherapeutic approach when working with individuals, incorporating aspects of person-centered, psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral (CBT), interpersonal process, internal family systems, and solution-focused therapies. Further, he has experience addressing various concerns, including but not limited to depression, anxiety, OCD, phobias, grief, trauma, identity development, spiritual matters, stress, low self-esteem, relationship issues, performance, and career development. For a listing of some of the concerns he often addresses, click here.

He is also trained in accelerated resolution therapy. This evidence-based psychotherapeutic technique has been demonstrated to help individuals heal from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, panic attacks, grief/loss, and abuse-related issues (emotional, physical, sexual, etc.).

Steven believes that his life experiences, successes, and hardships have helped shape his therapeutic work. He has known the challenges and pressures of being the youngest child in a large family system, the retail and higher education worlds of work (including layoffs, financial cutbacks/constraints, and office politics), caring for family members with special needs and disabilities, who are struggling from poor health, or experiencing active addictions; being part of a multicultural family system; navigating the college experience; making career changes and many other stressors that can make life difficult. As a husband and father, he has experienced the many joys and challenges accompanying marriage and parenting.

In addition to his practice, Steven currently instructs college courses for the Department of Psychology at the University of North Florida.

As a long-time resident of Northeast Florida, he and his family consider Jacksonville and the surrounding areas their home, and he looks forward to being able to give back to and support this community.