- 31 years experience
- Florida LMFT
- Focus on codependency
About Wendy
Dr. Wendy Petzel helps people facing stress, anxiety, relationship strain, trauma, grief, and depression. She often supports those wrestling with attachment concerns, codependency, caregiver stress, and isolation. Her approach is practical and grounded, aimed at helping people take small steps that make day-to-day life easier.
She values the idea that each person knows their own story best. She looks for strengths to build on and offers steady support while clients try new ways of coping. Sessions are a place to talk honestly, sort out priorities, and test out skills that fit real life.
Dr. Petzel brings 31 years of experience to her work as a Florida licensed marriage and family therapist. She draws from several therapy styles to match what a person needs in the moment. That might mean focusing on patterns from the past, changing unhelpful thoughts and actions, or learning clearer ways to connect with others.
Her style is collaborative and straightforward. She helps people set goals and track progress in simple steps. People who prefer a calm, respectful pace often find this approach helpful.
In sessions she uses methods informed by attachment work, cognitive behavioral ideas, and relationship-focused tools to address communication and connection. She also uses psychodynamic ideas to look at deeper patterns when that fits the client's goals. Her background and the mix of approaches guide how she tailors care to individual needs.
How her approaches translate to online work
Attachment-Based Therapy focuses on how early relationships shape current patterns. It helps people understand why they react in certain ways and learn new ways to feel safer in connections. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, looks at the link between thoughts, feelings, and actions and teaches practical skills to change unhelpful patterns. The Gottman Method offers tools for clearer communication and solving recurring relationship problems.Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. She will work with each person to choose or blend methods that match their goals and preferences. That may mean starting with practical skills, then exploring deeper patterns as trust grows.
Confirm the current session options before booking to know what formats are offered. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, reduce travel time, and allow for shorter check-ins when needed. It also means people can use approaches like attachment work and CBT in the same way they would in person, with conversations, skill practice, and homework that aim to build better day-to-day habits.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
31+ years
Credentials
Florida
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does she help with?
She works with stress, anxiety, relationship problems, trauma and abuse, grief, and depression. Additional focus areas include attachment issues, codependency, caregiver stress, and communication problems.
What is her therapeutic style like?
Her style is collaborative and straightforward. She helps people identify strengths, set practical goals, and try small changes that fit daily life.
What experience does she bring to sessions?
She has 31 years of professional experience working with the concerns listed in her profile. That experience informs how she tailors approaches to individual needs.
What are her credentials and where is she based?
She is a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT) in Florida. Her practice is located in Florida.
Which languages are supported?
Sessions are offered in English.
Are sessions available to international clients?
She is not currently accepting international clients.
How is cost handled?
Costs vary with location and therapist availability. Sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Click the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to therapist availability.
Profile details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. Credential and registration rules differ between the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia.