Gerilyn Worthy-Thayer, Ph.D.

Media Releases

Get to know Psychologist Dr. Gerilyn Worthy-Thayer, who serves patients in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.

A top professional in the field of psychology, Dr. Worthy-Thayer is in practice at Mandala Family Wellness in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. She believes in the importance of examining the context of each client’s individual circumstances and needs in order to best identify and treat the factors impacting the client’s treatment and overall wellbeing.

A member of the American Psychological Association, she has experience with very young children with histories of neglect and complex trauma, diverse and underserved populations, children and families, mood and anxiety issues, anxiety and depression in adults, executive functioning difficulties, learning disabilities, grief, behavioral issues, and autism spectrum disorders. She also provides parent training to help parents of children with behavioral and emotional challenges deal with and strategize parenting methods to meet their needs.

Capable of utilizing various techniques to suit the therapeutic needs of her clients, Dr. Worthy-Thayer prefers cognitive behavioral, family systems, play therapy, and trauma-informed methods of intervention. Additionally, she provides psychological assessment services (developmental, psychoeducational, and diagnostic) as well as individual and group therapy.

Pertaining to her educational pursuits, she received a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Tuskegee University, a Master of Science in Clinical Psychology from Barry University, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Clinical Psychology from Howard University. She completed her pre-doctoral internship at the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, and her post-doctoral residency at Keystone Behavioral Pediatrics and Mandala Family Wellness.

Psychology is the science of behavior and mind. It includes the study of conscious and unconscious phenomena, as well as feeling and thought. It is an academic discipline of immense scope. Psychologists assess, diagnose, and treat the psychological problems and behavioral dysfunctions resulting from, or related to, physical and mental health. In addition, they play a major role in the promotion of healthy behavior, preventing diseases and improving patients’ quality of life.

Recommended Articles

• Symptoms of Atypical Depression

  Depression is usually signified by extended moods of sadness and a generally low mood even when events occur that should normally lift someone’s spirits. Patients generally ignore all positive stimuli, preferring to remain in a cocoon irrespective of external circumstances. At one stage, the loss...

• Tips for Parents who are Raising a Child with Autism

  If you are a parent who has a child with autism, you need to be proactive when it comes to understand your child's condition, and weighing out different treatments options. It is common for you to work with a multitude of people to help make the best decision for your child. A child's ability to...

• Autism: Why It's Important to Consider Identity-First Language

  When discussing autism, it’s easy to get caught up in conversations about genetics and DNA that can often feel detached from the everyday experiences of people with autism. The research being done in these areas and the discussions that surround them are undoubtedly important. New studies and data...

• “Cancer Anger” - An Explanation

  Following a cancer diagnosis, it is normal to be overwhelmed with a lot of different emotions. Some individuals may feel shocked and frightened, while others may feel sad, guilty, or upset. There is no right way to feel. ...

• How MRIs Can Be Used to Diagnose Autism

  Though we have made progress in recognizing what does not cause autism, little is currently known about what does cause most cases of autism. It is known that there is no single cause of the condition. In general, it is accepted that autism is related to structural differences in the brain, though...

• Social ABCs: An Early Intervention Program for Autism

  Autism is a condition that has been diagnosed at an increasing rate in recent year, but that remains relatively mysterious in a lot of ways. While there are many different initiatives examining the differences in the development of the brain in children with autism as compared to neurotypical...