Mental health care in Lakeland
Ascend Mind and Body offers outpatient mental health care in Lakeland from our downtown office at 832 South Florida Avenue and by video: therapy, psychiatric evaluation and medication management, psychological testing, and couples and family sessions. Psychiatric care comes from board-certified psychiatric nurse practitioners (PMHNP-BC), not physicians. Use this page to choose a starting point.
- Our largest therapy teamLicensed clinical supervision, with reduced-fee sessions from registered interns.
- Psychiatry in the same officePsychiatric visits on South Florida Avenue, or by video anywhere in Florida.
- Testing on sitePsychological and neuropsychological evaluations for children, teens and adults.
Free · Confidential
Request a callback
Request a callback and a patient coordinator will help you choose where to start, check openings and confirm insurance. No cost, no obligation.
Got it. We will be in touch.
A patient coordinator will reach out within one business day. If you would rather not wait, call (813) 670-3005.
Looking for mental health care in Lakeland often turns into a list of names with no way to tell them apart. Knowing what kind of care you need is the fastest way to narrow it.
Therapy is the usual first step for stress, anxiety, low mood, grief and relationship strain. A psychiatric evaluation comes first when symptoms are severe or you want medication considered. Testing comes first when the question is what is going on, as with learning or attention problems. In Lakeland, all three happen at the same South Florida Avenue office.
Our Lakeland office is on the second floor at 832 South Florida Avenue, a short walk from Munn Park in downtown Lakeland. It is home to the largest clinical team in the practice: a licensed mental health counselor who supervises our registered interns, a marriage and family therapy intern, psychological testing, and in-person psychiatric visits.
Because talk therapy at Ascend Mind and Body is self-pay, cost shapes the decision more than people expect. Reduced-fee sessions with a registered intern, who practices under licensed clinical supervision, are one way to start therapy for less, and superbills help with out-of-network reimbursement if your plan has those benefits. Psychiatric visits, by contrast, can be billed to in-network plans.
Nothing here diagnoses you. It is a guide to the options, and a coordinator and a clinician will confirm the starting point with you before anything is booked.
A starting point for each kind of concern
Pick the row that sounds closest to your situation. The final column names a reasonable first appointment, and the coordinator will confirm or adjust it when you call.
| What is going on | Age | What you want | Where to start |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anxiety, low mood, grief or a big life change you want to work through | Adults 18+ | Regular sessions and practical tools | Therapist in Lakeland |
| Symptoms severe enough to disrupt work, sleep or relationships | Adults 18+ | An evaluation and, if appropriate, medication | Psychiatric care in Lakeland |
| Problems with focus, organization or follow-through you have had for years | Adults and teens | An ADHD evaluation and treatment plan | ADHD evaluation in Lakeland |
| Learning, attention, memory or developmental questions | Children, teens and adults | Formal testing with a written report | Psychological and psychoeducational testing |
| Changes in memory or thinking, in yourself or in a parent | Adults | A neurocognitive evaluation | Neuropsychological evaluation |
| A child whose mood, anxiety or attention worries you | Ages 5 to 17 | A psychiatric evaluation with a parent involved | Child psychiatry for Lakeland families |
| Recurring conflict, distance or a trust problem in a relationship | Couples | Sessions together | Couples therapy in Lakeland |
| Tension between parents and teens, or a blended family adjusting | Families | Family sessions | Family therapy |
| An older adult with low mood, anxiety or a long medication list | Adults 60+ | An evaluation that looks at the whole picture | Geriatric psychiatry for Lakeland |
| Depression that has not improved after two or more antidepressants | Adults 18+ | A specialized evaluation | Ketamine evaluation for Lakeland patients |
| Thoughts of suicide, or someone is not safe right now | Any age | Immediate help | Call or text 988, or call 911 |
From a weekly session to round-the-clock care
Ascend Mind and Body offers outpatient care only: appointments you attend while living at home. That is the right level for most people. When it is not, the next steps are intensive programs, inpatient care or, in an emergency, crisis services, and recognizing which one fits saves time when it matters.
-
1
Outpatient appointments
Therapy, psychiatric visits, testing and couples or family sessions on South Florida Avenue, with psychiatry and therapy also available by video. Most people start here and stay here.
-
2
Intensive outpatient and partial hospitalization programs
Several hours of structured treatment a day, several days a week, returning home at night. Ascend does not offer these programs. The behavioral health number on your insurance card can tell you which programs serving Polk County are in your network, and we can help with the step back down to regular appointments.
-
3
Inpatient care
A hospital stay for when safety cannot be managed at home or close medical monitoring is needed. Admission goes through an emergency department or a crisis assessment, not a scheduled office visit.
- 4
Anxiety and depression treatment in Lakeland
At our Lakeland office, anxiety and depression are treated with therapy, medication management or both. Which comes first depends on severity, how long symptoms have lasted and what has or has not worked before, and the plan is revisited as you go.
Therapy as the starting point
For many Lakeland adults, treatment begins with weekly or every-other-week sessions focused on the thoughts, habits and situations keeping anxiety or low mood going. Approaches with a long research record, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, are part of the toolkit, adjusted to the person in the room. Reduced-fee intern sessions make starting more affordable.
When medication enters the picture
If symptoms are severe, have lasted for months, keep returning, or have not eased with therapy alone, a psychiatric evaluation can add medication to the plan. The provider reviews your health history and current medications first, then starts with the option that fits your situation and side-effect concerns.
Combining the two in one office
Therapy and psychiatric care share the same practice, so with your written consent your therapist and prescriber can coordinate directly. For someone coming from Bartow or Winter Haven, one office handling both can also mean fewer trips: therapy in person, medication follow-ups by video, or whatever mix works.
Go deeper: finding a therapist in Lakeland, medication management in Lakeland, generalized anxiety disorder and therapy for depression.
Seven services, briefly
The short version of each, with a link to the full page.
Individual therapy
Therapy for anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, life transitions and burnout, with a licensed clinician or a registered intern under licensed supervision. For trauma, EMDR therapy with an EMDR-trained therapist is one of the approaches available. Self-pay, with reduced-fee intern sessions and superbills. Find a therapist in Lakeland.
Psychiatric evaluation and medication management
For adults with depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, PTSD or ADHD. The first visit sets the plan and follow-ups adjust it. See psychiatric visits in Lakeland.
ADHD evaluation
An evaluation built on your history, standardized rating scales and a check for look-alikes such as anxiety, depression or sleep problems, followed by treatment options if ADHD is confirmed. More on adult ADHD care in Lakeland.
Psychological testing
Psychological, psychoeducational, neurodevelopmental and neurocognitive evaluations for children, teens, adults and older adults with Dr. Richard M. Marshall, Ed.D., Ph.D., including a written report and a feedback session. See testing and evaluations.
Couples and family therapy
Couples sessions for conflict, distance and trust, and family sessions for parents, teens and blended households. Both are self-pay. See couples counseling in Lakeland and family therapy.
Child and geriatric psychiatry
Psychiatric care for ages 5 to 17 with a parent or guardian involved, and for adults 60 and older with attention to medical history and medication load. See pediatric psychiatry for Lakeland families and care for older adults in Lakeland.
Ketamine therapy
For adults whose depression or PTSD has not responded to standard treatment, ketamine sessions take place in person at our Wesley Chapel office, and the first evaluation can often begin by video. The ketamine used at Ascend is a compounded preparation that is not FDA-approved, it is a Schedule III controlled substance, and individual responses vary. See ketamine therapy for Lakeland patients.
South Florida Avenue office, team and payment
- Office: 832 South Florida Avenue, Suite 1, Floor 2, Lakeland, FL 33801, downtown near Munn Park. Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Hours, parking and directions: our Lakeland office.
- Providers: Dr. Richard M. Marshall, Ed.D., Ph.D. (psychological testing), Anna Stouffer, PMHNP-BC and Margot Krahn, PMHNP-BC (psychiatric care), and therapists Kaylee Mills Brenneman, LMHC, Diana Frances Smith, RMFTI, Skyler Anderson, RMHCI and Ashley Huston, RMHCI. Who you see, and whether in person or by video, is matched on your first call. Profiles and credentials: meet our clinicians.
- Insurance: Ascend is in network with Aetna, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, TRICARE, ChampVA and Oscar for psychiatry. Talk therapy is self-pay, with superbills for out-of-network reimbursement. See insurance and self-pay details.
- Areas served: Lakeland, Winter Haven, Auburndale, Bartow, Mulberry, Haines City, Plant City and the rest of Polk County, plus video visits anywhere in Florida.
Questions Lakeland callers ask about choosing care
The questions that come up most before a first appointment in Lakeland.
Is talk therapy or medication the better first step for me?
Therapy is usually the first step for mild to moderate anxiety, low mood, grief or stress. A psychiatric evaluation comes first when symptoms are severe or long-lasting, or a medication has helped you before. If you are unsure, tell our coordinator what is going on in a sentence or two and they will suggest where to begin. You can add the other later.
Are reduced-fee intern sessions a reasonable place to start?
For many people, yes. Registered interns have completed their graduate training and see clients under licensed clinical supervision, and their sessions cost less than sessions with a fully licensed therapist. If your situation calls for more experience, the coordinator will say so when matching you.
How does psychological testing fit with therapy or psychiatric care?
Testing answers a specific question, such as whether attention problems come from ADHD, a learning disorder, anxiety or something else. The written report can then guide what your therapist works on or what your psychiatric provider prescribes. Testing is a separate service, and insurance coverage varies by plan and by the type of evaluation.
Who prescribes medication at Ascend Mind and Body in Lakeland?
Board-certified psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners, Anna Stouffer, PMHNP-BC and Margot Krahn, PMHNP-BC. Florida licenses them to evaluate, diagnose and prescribe psychiatric medication, including controlled substances when clinically appropriate. They are not physicians, and if you need a physician psychiatrist we will tell you. More on psychiatry in Lakeland.
Can my therapist and my prescriber talk to each other?
Yes, with your written consent. Both work inside Ascend Mind and Body, so coordinating does not require sending records between practices. That helps when a medication change and a therapy goal affect each other, which is common with depression and anxiety.
What should I do if things get worse between appointments?
Call the office during business hours and tell the team what has changed; an earlier appointment may be possible. If you are thinking about suicide or someone is not safe, do not wait: call or text 988 any time, call 911, or go to the nearest emergency department.
Not sure which service fits? Start with a callback
Tell a patient coordinator what is going on. They will suggest a first appointment, explain the self-pay and insurance side, and book it.
In crisis right now? Call or text 988 any time. Scheduled appointments are not an emergency service.