Child & Teen Therapy in Tampa, FL
Located in Apollo Beach and serving Riverview, Ruskin, Brandon, and surrounding areas.
Your child isn't giving you a hard time. They're having a hard time. Let's figure out why.
Anxiety, perfectionism, ADHD, big emotions, learning differences — whatever is underneath, it's showing up in the behavior. And once you understand what's really driving it, everything changes. That's exactly what we do here.
or call/text (813) 252-1133
You've watched the meltdowns. Survived the standoffs. Googled things at midnight you'd never say out loud.
And you still don't have a real answer for why your kid does what they do.
That's not because you haven't tried hard enough. It's because behavior is almost never the actual problem — it's what's left when a child runs out of other ways to say I'm struggling.
At Guided Path, we don't start with the behavior. We start with the question underneath it: what is this child trying to communicate, and why hasn't anyone figured that out yet?
That's where things finally start to make sense.
You already know something is off. You've known for a while.
Your child or teen may be thoughtful, capable, and trying harder than anyone realizes. But something keeps getting in the way — and the explanations you've been given haven't quite fit.
Maybe it looks like this:
She cried for 45 minutes because she got one answer wrong on a quiz.
He can't start the assignment. Any assignment. The blank page freezes him.
She's fine all day at school. Your house is where she finally breaks down.
He knows the material. The test still doesn't go well. Nobody understands why.
She's been called "too sensitive" her whole life. You know that's not the whole story.
The meltdown came out of nowhere. Except it didn't — you just couldn't see what built up to it.
This is what it looks like when anxiety, ADHD, perfectionism, learning differences, and emotional intensity tangle together. Each one alone is hard enough. Together, they're easy to miss — and even easier to misread.
Most families aren't missing effort. They're missing clarity.
That's what we find here.
Areas of focus:
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Living under constant internal pressure can be exhausting—especially when anxiety is tied to perfectionism.
School expectations begin to feel overwhelming, and effort rarely feels like enough. Your child may work incredibly hard to meet expectations while quietly doubting themselves.
From the outside, they may appear capable and responsible.
Internally, they’re managing constant self-criticism and pressure to get everything right.In our work together, we focus on easing that constant evaluation and helping them develop a steadier sense of confidence—one that isn’t dependent on performance.
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When ADHD, dyslexia, or other learning differences intersect with anxiety, the struggle is often deeper than worry alone.
It’s often a mismatch between how your child’s brain works and what school demands. Over time, that mismatch can lead to pressure, frustration, shame, and exhaustion.
In our work together, we focus on understanding how your child’s mind and nervous system function—so regulation, confidence, and steadiness can develop in a sustainable way.
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Some kids and teens experience emotions deeply while also trying hard to keep everything under control.
They may hold it together at school, only to feel overwhelmed later—or work constantly to manage their reactions so no one sees how much effort it takes.
Emotional intensity isn’t a flaw—but it does require understanding and skill.
In our work together, we focus on helping your child better understand their emotions and nervous system so they can respond with greater regulation, confidence, and steadiness at home, at school, and in relationships.
No more second-guessing—just clarity about what’s really going on.
My name is Deanna, and I help kids and their parents finally understand what's driving the behavior — so everyone can stop guessing and start making real progress.
Because here's what I see over and over: the meltdowns, the shutdowns, the refusal, the perfectionism that turns homework into a two-hour war — none of it is random. It's connected. Anxiety, ADHD, learning differences, emotional intensity — these things tangle together in ways that make the surface behavior confusing, even when your kid is trying their hardest.
You've talked to teachers. Tried the strategies. Read the articles at 11pm with one eye closed. You're not failing. You're just missing the piece that makes everything else click.
That's the work we do here. Not quick fixes. Not more coping skills stacked on top of a system that still doesn't make sense. We get underneath — to what's actually running the show — so your child stops feeling broken and starts feeling understood.
When that happens, things shift. The explosive kid gets easier to reach. The anxious perfectionist starts to breathe. The teen who's been white-knuckling it finally puts something down.
And you stop dreading the hard moments — because you actually know what to do with them.
You don’t have to figure this out alone. Together, we build the understanding and skills that create lasting change.
If your child's behavior has you confused, exhausted, or quietly wondering if you're missing something — you're probably right. And that's actually good news.
Because behavior that doesn't make sense usually means there's something underneath that hasn't been named yet. Anxiety that looks like defiance. ADHD that looks like laziness. Perfectionism that looks like a kid who just won't try. Emotional intensity that looks like manipulation.
I specialize in finding that thing.
Working with both kids and parents, we build a picture of what's actually going on — not just what it looks like from the outside. And once that becomes clear, the path forward stops feeling impossible.
Behavior rarely tells the whole story.
What looks like defiance, shutdown, explosiveness, or falling apart — it's almost never what it appears to be on the surface. Underneath, there are patterns: how this child's brain is wired, what school is asking of them, how anxiety or ADHD or perfectionism has quietly been running things for longer than anyone realized.
That's why I don't start with the behavior. I start with the whole child.
My approach is built around four things:
Curiosity that leads to clarity
Connection that builds safety
Calm that reduces pressure
Confidence that lasts
When we understand what's actually driving the behavior, the right path forward becomes obvious. And the child who felt impossible to reach starts to feel possible again.
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We don’t rush to fix or label. We start by getting curious—about when the behavior began, how things like anxiety, perfectionism or neurodivergence may be shaping it, and what’s been quietly carrying the most weight.
Understanding comes first, because clarity changes how we respond.
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Real change happens in the context of trust. I create a space where children, teens, and young adults feel understood—not analyzed.
When people feel safe, they’re more able to explore what’s hard and begin loosening patterns that once felt necessary.
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As patterns become clearer, we begin strengthening regulation. Reactions feel less urgent. Emotions become more manageable.
Instead of constantly bracing or over-controlling, there’s more room to respond with intention.
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Over time, self-trust grows. Children feel more capable. Young adults feel less driven by anxiety and more guided by clarity. Parents feel more grounded in how they respond.
The goal isn’t perfection—it’s sustainable confidence that holds up in everyday life.
Specializing in…
Child & Teen Anxiety
Perfectionism
ADHD & Executive Functioning Challenges
Learning Differences
Emotional Intensity & Regulation
School-Related Anxiety & Stress
Academic Pressure
Social Anxiety
Self-Esteem & Self-Trust
Overwhelm & Burnout in Students
Depression Connected to Anxiety
Ready to get started?
We’ll begin with a conversation to understand what’s been going on and see if this feels like the right fit.
Let’s make sense of what’s been going on—so things can start to feel more manageable.
You don’t have to figure this out on your own.
Together, we’ll understand what’s happening and what will actually help your child move forward.
No intake paperwork. Just a real conversation about your child.