Psychodynamic Therapy for Individuals
SUCCESS, TOGETHER
What is psychodynamic therapy?
Psychodynamic therapy begins with the belief that symptoms have meaning.
Anxiety, stress, depression, relationship conflict, emotional distance, self-doubt, or strong reactions in the present often point to deeper patterns in how a person learned to feel, protect themselves, depend on others, handle closeness, and understand who they are.
This work looks beneath the surface of the immediate problem. The focus is not only on what is happening now, but on why certain patterns keep repeating and why they have been so difficult to change.
Psychodynamic therapy may be helpful for people struggling with:
- Anxiety
- Stress management
- Developmental trauma
- Early attachment experiences that affect closeness, trust, or emotional safety
- Self-criticism, shame, perfectionism, or uncertainty in the sense of self
- Emotional reactions that feel larger than the moment
The goal is not simply to understand the past. It is to work through the patterns that still shape your life, so you can feel more present, more honest with yourself, and more capable of real connection.
What happens if we run into technical difficulties?
If our video freezes or disconnects, don’t worry. I will try re-connecting first, and if that fails, I will immediately call the phone number we have on file for you so we can finish our session.
Does insurance cover virtual therapy?
Many insurance plans cover telehealth just like in-office visits, but coverage varies. We recommend reaching out to your provider directly to confirm your specific out-of-network or telehealth benefits.
Does insurance cover virtual therapy?
I am an out-of-network provider and do not accept Medicaid. However, many insurance plans offer partial reimbursement for out-of-network mental health services. I can provide a superbill (an itemized receipt) for you to submit to your insurance company. I recommend checking directly with your provider to see what your specific plan covers.
What therapeutic approach do you use for couples therapy and marriage counseling?
For couples, I use PACT (Psychobiological Approach to Couple Therapy), which draws on neuroscience, attachment theory, and nervous system regulation to help partners feel safe, connected, and responsive to each other.
How is PACT different from other forms of couples therapy?
PACT isn’t just about talking through problems or learning communication tips. It focuses on helping couples feel safe, seen,
Unconscious processes affect your emotional experiences, including anxiety, stress, and depression.
Many of our most persistent patterns were formed long before we had the perspective or language to understand what was happening. They developed in response to relationships, environments, and experiences that taught us what felt safe, what was expected of us, and what we needed to do to maintain connection, protect ourselves, or feel in control. At one point, these responses may have served an important purpose. Over time, they can become deeply ingrained ways of moving through the world, showing up as anxiety, chronic stress, depression, shame, or difficulty navigating our emotions and relationships.
The belief that you can only rely on yourself can make genuine closeness difficult. The instinct to anticipate what might go wrong can become anxiety, overthinking, or a need for control. Feeling rejected can stir up shame or emotions that seem much larger than the moment itself. Even the ego develops ways of protecting us from experiences that feel painful or threatening, sometimes through withdrawal, perfectionism, defensiveness, or shutting down. The ways you learned to protect yourself in earlier relationships can quietly show up in your marriage, friendships, parenting, career, and even in the relationship you have with yourself.
Together, we look at what is underneath these patterns. We explore the emotions, defenses, expectations, and earlier experiences that continue to shape the way you respond today. Rather than treating anxiety, stress, depression, or relationship difficulties as isolated problems, we become curious about what they may be expressing and why certain experiences continue to carry so much emotional weight.
Why do certain situations affect you so deeply? Why does feeling rejected stay with you long after the moment has passed? Why do you keep finding yourself in familiar relationship dynamics, even when the people or circumstances have changed? Why can you know exactly what you want to do differently and still find yourself reacting in the same way?
The goal is not simply to understand why you are the way you are. It is to create meaningful change at the level where these patterns were formed, so that old defenses and experiences no longer have the same power over your emotions, your relationships, or the way you move through your life.
Therapy is where you can examine how you move through your life, how you protect yourself, how you lose contact with what you feel, and what begins to change when those patterns are worked through.
- Feeling more present instead of only managing your reactions
- Creating more room between what you feel and what you do next
- Speaking more honestly in your relationships
- Recognizing old patterns before they take over
- Developing a clearer sense of what belongs to you and what belongs to others
- Moving toward more choice, emotional freedom, and genuine connection
It’s important to work through this with a licensed therapist, with the appropriate training and credentials. Dr. Nicole McGuffin has 15 years of expereince and specializes in a psychoanalytic, depth-oriented approach.
About Dr. Nicole McGuffin
Hi! I'm Nicole.
I work with adults and couples who are ready to look more closely at the patterns shaping their lives. My focus is on your symptoms, the impact, and changing emotional and relational patterns that seem impossible to break. Anxiety, relationship pain, self-doubt, emotional distance, or a persistent sense of being stuck may show up in the present, but often have deeper roots.
Therapy can offer a place to slow down, understand what is happening beneath the surface, and begin to make different choices.
If you are considering therapy, I invite you to schedule a 15-minute consultation. It is an opportunity to ask questions, get a sense of fit, and decide whether working together feels right. I offer secure teletherapy sessions, providing convenient access from wherever is most comfortable for you.
License and Training
I hold a doctorate in psychology and am licensed as an LMHC in Florida and an LPC in Colorado. My clinical work is informed by psychoanalytic psychotherapy, attachment theory, the Masterson approach to developmental and relational trauma and disorders of the self, PACT Level 3 couples therapy, Gestalt therapy, and NARM.
These approaches inform my work, but they do not define it. At the center of therapy is your experience, your history, and the kind of understanding that helps achieve deeper change.
Florida Testimonials
How Therapy Begins
1
Schedule a Consultation
Our work begins with a conversation. We'll speak briefly about what is bringing you to therapy, what you are hoping for, and whether working together feels like the right fit.
2
Clarify the Focus
In the early sessions, we will begin to understand the concerns you want to address, the patterns beneath them, and the direction you would like the work to take.
3
Achieve Deeper Change
As therapy unfolds, the work often moves beyond immediate symptoms into the patterns, defenses, and relational experiences that continue to shape your life.
Begin Your Healing Experience
Nicole McGuffin, PsyD
Begin Your Healing Experience
Nicole McGuffin, PsyD
Therapy creates space for deeper self-understanding and healthier connection.
Questions often asked before starting therapy.
Schedule a free 15-minute call with me to discuss your challenges and ask any additional questions you may have.
Dr. Nicole McGuffin holds a doctorate in psychology and is licensed as an LMHC in Florida and an LPC in Colorado. Her clinical work is informed by psychoanalytic psychotherapy, attachment theory, the Masterson approach to developmental and relational trauma and disorders of the self, PACT Level 3 couples therapy, Gestalt therapy, and NARM.
Office hours are Monday through Thursday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Most clients have a regular weekly appointment time, which helps create consistency in the work. Some clients choose to meet more often when they want or need a more intensive therapy process.
Yes. I offer online therapy for individuals and couples. Online therapy allows clients to meet from a private, comfortable location while still engaging in focused, consistent therapeutic work.
Yes. Online couples therapy can be very effective when both partners are able to meet from a private space and participate without interruption. The work focuses on the patterns between partners, including conflict, distance, repair, communication, and the ways each person responds under stress.
I do not bill insurance directly. Payment is due at the time of service.
If you have out of network benefits, I can provide a superbill that you may submit to your insurance company for possible reimbursement.
Services
Couple's Counseling
A place for couples to understand what keeps getting between them and begin creating more emotional security, safety, mutuality, and connection.
Feel Better | Individual Therapy
You may appear high-functioning on the outside, while privately feeling anxious, disconnected, or self-critical. Work through core triggers and heal cyclical patterns to create emotional safety and genuine connections.