Melissa Lavin, PsyD, Psychologist
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Melissa Lavin, PsyD

Psychologist | Clinical

3333 Clark Rd Ste 110 Sarasota FL, 34231
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About

Dr. Melissa Lavin is a licensed clinical psychologist practicing in Sarasota, FL and in addition provides telehealth services to clients in NH. Dr. Lavin specializes in the treatment of mental health problems, trauma, and the afteraffects of such stressors. As a psychologist, Dr. Lavin evaluates and treats clients through a variety of methods. She comes together with her clients to meet them where they are in life and comes up with an individualized treatment plan. She is dedicated to creating a safe place for individuals and families to understand themselves better and explore these life challenges. Clients usually visit Dr. Lavin because they have been experiencing depression, anxiety, stress, grief, anger, sleep related issues, relationship issues, insecurities, or are looking for a better understanding of themselves and finding a more fulfilling life. Dr. Lavin serves diverse populations and ages from children 7-17, through adulthood 18-80. In addition, she works with professional athletes, first responders, lawyers, doctors/nurses, and provides supervision/consultations services for other professionals in the field. 

Education and Training

Forest Institute Psy.D 2012

Forest Institute MA 2009

Canisius College BA 2007

Board Certification

Florida Department of Health

Provider Details

Female English
Melissa Lavin, PsyD
Melissa Lavin, PsyD's Expert Contributions
  • Should I take medications for anxiety?

    Taking medications is a personal choice, that you need to decide if you feel comfortable doing. Consistency is needed with medications. Therefore, you need to have a good routine to remember to take the medication around the same time every day. If you don't want to take it then it will be more likely to be forgotten about or will just decide not to take it that day. There are a lot of medications that are helpful, as well as changes in your food/diet and supplements. Foods for anxiety: • Bananas • Oats (whole oats) • Figs • Avocado • Berries (blueberry, raspberry, black berry, acai) • Citrus fruits (oranges, lemon) • Oysters • Nuts (cashews) & Seeds (chia seeds, flaxseeds) • Egg yolks • Turkey • Liver • Beef • Broccoli, spinach • Green Tea • Beans & lentils Supplements: • L-theanine (amino acid) – Throne brand • Passion Flower • Valerian Root (GABA) • Chamomile (watch with blood thinning medications) • Magnesium Lactate- bisphosphonates (Fosamax), antibiotics (doxycycline or ciprofloxacin), diuretics (Lasix), or proton pump inhibitors (Nexium), speak with a healthcare provider • Lemon Balm • 5-HTP • Rhodiola Rosea • Ashwagandha (GABA) READ MORE

  • Does exercise help with anxiety?

    We see in research that after 11 minutes of working out, our neurotransmitters start to release more happy hormones into out system (endorphins, dopamine, serotonin..etc). Therefore, exercise can help with a quick little mood light. If you want the physical benefits of change in weight or muscle tone 60 minutes a day is still recommended by research. Exercise is also a way to get restless energy that has been building up in your body out, which in return will lower your baseline for anxiety. Deep breathing while you workout and grounding activities will also help reduce your level of anxiety and can be combined with exercise READ MORE

  • Can a psychologist help anxiety patients?

    Yes, a psychologist can help with anxiety but helping you to identity the fears, level of intensity, what the fear may be rooted in, any irrational thinking patterns that may be beginning to create new lens of how we interpret our reality and give you the coping tools to undo that kind of thinking. They can also teach you deep breathing techniques, mindfulness, grounding techniques, and calming skills. READ MORE

  • What therapy is successful in treating anxiety?

    There are many therapies that can help with anxiety. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is very popular as it helps you become more mindful of your thought processes, which connect to your physical and emotional feelings, which in turn make as act and behave a certain way. Research says we have 40,000-60,000 thoughts a day! Therefore, we need to be mindful of any negative thinking patterns we may be getting wrapped up in that we are not even aware of. Exposure therapy is also great for anxiety. Most importantly find a therapist you feel comfortable with to fully open up to. READ MORE

  • Can anxiety go away?

    Yes! Anxiety and anger can go away. We are able to rewire the brain at any age, but it does take consistent and mindful practice. These are both healthy and good emotions to have. We don't want to take them fully away because they are tied to our survival mechanisms. The idea is to learn your body's cues and intensity levels to better manage these emotions so that they do not interfere with our daily functioning, and more use them for the benefits they can bring us. READ MORE

Areas of expertise and specialization

Advanced Nutrition & Integrative Medicine for Mental HealthTrauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)Modular Approach to Therapy for Children (MATCH)Gottman Method Therapy Level 1 & 2

Faculty Titles & Positions

  • Owner Lavin Psychology Services 2017 - Present

Awards

  • Top Psychologist in New Haven, CT 2013 Worldwide Leaders in Healthcare 

Professional Memberships

  • American Psychological Association  

Charities and Philanthropic Endeavors

  • National MS Society

Treatments

  • Cognitive Behavioral TherapyDialectical Behavior TherapyInterpersonal TherapyPsychoanalytic Therapy

Internships

  • Robert Murney Clinic. Springfield, MO (2009-2011)Gay and Lesbian Organization (GLO) Center. Springfield, MO (2009-2010)Center for Psychological Health and Well Being. Aurora, MO (2010-2011)

Fellowships

  • Clifford Beers Guidance Clinic. New Haven CT (2014-2015)Connecticut Psychiatric Wellness Center. Woodbridge, CT (2014-15)

What do you attribute your success to?

  • I attribute my success to my training program. The program instilled taking the time to build an authentic connection with your clients. I believe in order to foster growth and improvement, clients need to feel understood, not alone, and have someone they can relate to, in order to open up and trust in the process to overcome their challenges. If I can provide a safe place for them to be themselves, give them hope, leave with at least one new skill to try, or at least put a smile on their face during our time together, than it's been a successful day!

Favorite Place to Vacation

  • Beach vacations somewhere tropical and camping vacations with great friends

Hobbies / Sports

  • Ice Skating, Jump Rope Scrape Books

Favorite professional publications

  • Psychology Today Magazine The Body Keeps Score By: Bessel Van Der Kolk, M.D.

Areas of research

 Lavin, M (2013). Documentary of Child Adverse Effects and Health Care Systems. (aired 2021, Resilience, directed by James Redford)

 ·    Aim of this documentary and was directed by James Redford is to bring awareness of supportive health care systems for anyone dealing with adverse childhood effects. Also, the documentary brings to life the many lives effected and how these incidents affect everyone throughout their life. Paticipated  in group therapy that was interviewed for documentary

 

DiDomenico, M (2012). The effects of child sexual abuse on body image in preadolescent children, (Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation). The School of Professional Psychology at Forest Institute

·       The aim of the doctoral dissertation project was to control for demographic and developmental variables in order to see if in fact a history of sexual abuse predicts a more negative body image.  The study will examine 30 preadolescent children between the ages of eight to twelve and use the   Body Image Assessment Procedure for Children DiDomenico, M (2011). Using emotional intelligence to predict police officer's attitudes toward the mentally ill. (Submitted for Publication). The School of Professional Psychology at Forest Institute.      A database is being created and maintained to organize and pull studies from all pre-employment assessments (MMPI-2, WAIS-III, WPT, and IPI) for    Springfield, Missouri law enforcement officers.

Melissa Lavin, PsyD's Practice location

Lavin Psychology Services, PLLC

3333 Clark Rd Ste 110 -
Sarasota, FL 34231
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New patients: 941-271-9912
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/melissa-lavin-sarasota-fl/299679

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