FMHCA's New President,
Laura Peddie- Bravo Get to know FMHCA's new president in this exclusive FMHCA interview!
Laura Peddie-Bravo is a second-generation Floridian; she loves living here and plans to stay for the rest of her life! As such, it is not uncommon for her to mention with excitement how she wishes to help make Florida the BEST state for Licensed Mental Health Counselors. Laura began her career in 1991 after graduating with a BA in Psychology with a Clinical Psychology specialization from the University of Central Florida (UCF). Her original plan was to apply to Clinical Ph.D. programs. She collaborated in post-baccalaureate research after graduation, then worked as Psychiatric Technician at a local hospital, and worked in a variety of community settings ranging from crisis intervention to working with adults with severe forms of Autism. While Laura was working with her own counselor, he informed her that she didn’t need a PhD in Clinical Psychology to be a counselor. He introduced her to the Masters in Mental Health Counseling program at UCF. She researched the program, and it looked like everything she wanted. She applied and was accepted into UCF’s Counselor Education program, the Mental Health Counseling track. When asked about her program and time at UCF she replied, "I greatly enjoyed the program! I also worked as a Graduate Assistant during my three years in the program and had the privilege of working on the program’s CACREP accreditation, which we received before I graduated. I also ran the Practicum Clinic which was a terrific experience." With over 20 years experience and involvement in the profession, Laura Peddie-Bravo is a trueasset to FMHCA and its organization-wide goals for 2022. Take a look at what she has to say! 30
January 2022 InSession | FMHCA.org
Tell us a little about who Laura Peddie-Bravo is today: My husband, Chris, and I just celebrated our 25th anniversary this August. We have three wonderful college aged children. One of our sons happens to be on the Autism Spectrum. I have a parrot named Paullie, a fouryear-old rescue dog named Daisy, and backyard chickens. My private practice is in Winter Park, FL, and I am an Approved Supervisor. I work with a variety of issues; but if I had to choose one issue that I have worked with the most over the past 20 years, it would be Trauma/PTSD. I also work with Depression, Anxiety, Bi-Polar, OCD, ASD, Personality Disorders, Post-Partum issues, and chronic medical conditions. I have an overall Wellness orientation combined with CBT. I like to practice what I preach about Wellness, and take long walks, cycle, swim, kayak, and enjoy photography. What led you to join an organization like FMHCA? My professors in Graduate school greatly encouraged their students to join professional associations and attend those associations’ conferences. My first exposure to FMHCA was as a Graduate Student, and I also participated in FMHCA’s legislative days in Tallahassee alongside my fellow students. I also love learning, and I attended every professional association’s conference and/or meetings that existed at that time, even though I couldn’t earn any CEUs for attending. I had the privilege of attending FMHCA’s first conference, held in Tampa, in 1999. I met and networked with colleagues and learned even more material outside what my program could offer. Regarding leadership, I became involved with my local FMHCA chapter, and first served on its board as a
