Welcome
My name is Cora McNeese Nelson and I am an Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) in the state of Florida. I provide counseling services via telehealth which is a fancy way of saying my services all occur through video sessions, phone calls, or messaging plans. This can offer some flexibility in scheduling as neither of us have to commute to an office and I can offer services later in the evening than typical business hours. There are several benefits to telehealth services, but these services are not appropriate for everyone or every situation. Feel free to do a free consultation to find out if telehealth services with me are a good fit for you.
Photo credit to Chelsye Bronson
I am one of the lucky few who always knew what I was going to do as my career. I have always wanted to help other people. I especially wanted to help kids learn how to advocate for themselves and to help their parents navigate advocating for their child with professionals they viewed as experts. This desire to help propelled me into the mental health field. I did an internship with a local organization during when pursuing my bachelors degrees and absolutely loved it! I then got a job working in a Statewide Inpatient Psychiatric Program for children and my passion began to grow. I didn't just want to help the kids at risk of loosing their placement, but I wanted to help their families learn to understand what was happening and work through their difficulties together. I began providing case management services helping to link and coordinate services for kids and their families to mental health services. A year later, I began providing counseling services in home and at the schools for that population of at risk children and their families. It was this point that I was motivated to get my masters degree during which I began working at an outpatient substance use treatment agency. A new passion ignited in me as I saw how possible great change is when people are motivated to do the constant work necessary to remain clean and sober. I witnessed true strength and courage as people faced a huge demon and worked to overcome the damage it caused in their lives. I sat back amazed when these individuals were successful in maintaining long-term recovery and I saw HOPE in action. This is when I realized how much I love working with the adolescent mindset and the realization that it occurs throughout the life span, not just teen years.
I absolutely LOVE what I do and LOVE to find ways to be creative. I encourage thinking outside the box to find new tools to use when working on improving your mental health and self-care habits. My whole focus is on listening to you and your needs. I collaborate with you to find ways to achieve your goals. You are the driver on this road trip, I'm just along for the ride and to help provide options for navigation.
Cora's Qualifications:
Cora McNeese Nelson received her Bachelors of Arts degrees in Mental Health Counseling and Criminal Justice from University of North Florida. Cora went on to receive her Masters of Science in Mental Health Counseling from Nova Southeastern University and became a licensed provider. Cora started off her career in the mental health field as a direct care staff with an agency in Jacksonville working with children in a Statewide Inpatient Psychiatric Program (SIPP). In her almost 10 years working with that agency, Cora moved into working as a certified Targeted Case Manager helping children and parents advocate for the child's needs in school, home, and doctor appointments. After a year of case management, Cora transitioned into providing in home counseling sessions for children and their families. Cora provided services throughout all of Duval and Volusia counties for the agency. As life often does, Cora had to move back to Central Florida when completing her masters degree. There Cora began working with an agency providing Outpatient Substance Abuse Treatment. Cora spent the next 8 years providing mental health and substance abuse therapy services through individual and group sessions for outpatient and Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP). Cora also spearheaded a program for children receiving mental health services at the agency as well as an art group to help provide a sense of safety and increase coping skills for the homeless population in the agency's outreach program. Cora also became certified as a facilitator of the Thinking for a Change Program offered to inmates in correction facilities throughout the nation. Cora became the supervisor of clinical services at the agency in 2019. Not long after that, COVID arrived and everything shut down. Cora like many others became unemployed. To Cora, this was the moment she had been waiting for but maybe the universe was done waiting for her. Cora opened the doors to her private practice in June of 2020.