Profile / United States
Dr. Wendy Petzel, LMFT
Florida
LMFT - stress and relationship concerns
See online therapy options- CBT methods
- Attachment focus
- Relationship tools
About Wendy
Dr. Wendy Petzel is a Florida-licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT) with 31 years of clinical work. She focuses on stress, anxiety, relationship problems, trauma and abuse, grief, and depression. She helps people who are looking for clear tools and steady support while they make changes.
Her approach combines practical skill-building with attention to emotional patterns. She uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to notice and change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors. She also draws on attachment-focused work and relationship methods to address how people connect and communicate.
Sessions are oriented toward concrete steps. Dr. Petzel helps people identify specific thoughts and habits that get in the way. She then practices alternative responses and builds routines to support small changes over time.
She often addresses issues that come from family of origin, caregiver stress, codependency, and problems with communication. She also works with concerns tied to first responder and veteran experiences, end-of-life and hospice counseling, and coping after disasters.
Dr. Petzel frames therapy as a collaborative process. She listens to what people report about their lives, suggests practical exercises, and checks in on progress. Her aim is to give straightforward methods people can use between sessions to manage symptoms and rebuild relationships.
How her approaches translate to online work
Dr. Petzel commonly uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to identify and change patterns of thinking and behavior that maintain anxiety or depression. CBT sessions focus on clear exercises, thought records, and behavioral experiments that people can practice between meetings.She also draws on Attachment-Based Therapy to look at how early and current connection patterns affect close relationships. That work helps people notice recurring interaction cycles and develop more effective ways to ask for needs and set boundaries.
Finding the right approach is part of the process. She collaborates with clients to choose methods that match their goals and comfort level, and she adjusts tools when something isn’t working. Clients and therapist check progress and adapt the plan together.
Session logistics should be confirmed before booking since formats are not specified in the biography. Online work can make it easier to fit appointments into a busy week, allow shorter check-ins when time is limited, and reduce travel time. Talk with the practice about which session formats are offered and which best fit your schedule and day-to-day needs.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
31+ years
Listed in
Florida
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does she help with most often?
She works with stress, anxiety, relationship problems, trauma and abuse, grief, and depression, plus related topics such as attachment issues and caregiver stress.
How does she use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in sessions?
She uses CBT to help people notice unhelpful thoughts and behaviors, try alternative responses, and build practical daily routines to reduce distress.
What is her professional background?
She has 31 years of experience working as a clinician in mental health settings and community care.
What credentials does she hold and where is she based?
She is a Florida LMFT and practices from Florida.
Which languages are sessions offered in?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can people outside the United States work with her?
International clients are not currently accepted.
How are sessions paid for and what about cost?
Cost varies with location; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin a first session?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and schedule your first session.
Details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. A license can be checked with the state board.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are not safe, use the crisis numbers.