Healing: For many Lakelanders, the road to mental health is a slog
May 27, 2025 at 1:04 PM EDT
But there’s hope, with some local and nonprofit mental health providers.
Mental health care in Lakeland is hard to access — and costly.
The Florida problem — as described by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).
Finding a provider is difficult.
“Therapists that see kids, couples, or do trauma work like EMDR have waitlists that are weeks long,” said Araceli Gauna-Scattolini, a licensed counselor at Lakeland’s Atala Counseling.
Try summer: If you’re having trouble finding a provider, try booking during June through August, says Jessica Dobbertin Burruso, a licensed clinical social worker at Lakeland’s Willow’s Path Counseling.
Summers can be a surprisingly good time to start therapy, Dobbertin Burruso said. “There’s a lull during the summer months. It’s a great time to build the habit before fall and get a jump-start on your mental health.”
ALSO READ: Healing: Lakeland’s shift on mental health
Cost: Health insurers can be an obstacle to getting mental health care, with high deductibles, limited coverage or no coverage at all, as well as people who may need the care but don’t have insurance.
Some mental health therapy may be available through workplace Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs), which typically cover six sessions with a licensed therapist. “It’s worth checking to see if your employer offers this benefit — especially for families that are just above the poverty line,” Dobbertin Burruso says.
When insurance doesn’t cover care, some providers will offer a “superbill” — a detailed invoice clients can submit to their insurer for possible partial reimbursement. But this still requires clients to pay up front, a hurdle for most.
Joanna’s journey: Joanna, a Lakeland resident, had her first breakdown in high school. After being laid off in 2020, she was struggling again.
For years, she pushed through it alone — until 2021, when caregiving for a grandparent and grief brought her to the edge again.
Uninsured but determined, she searched locally and found help through Lakeland Volunteers in Medicine, which referred her to Tri-County Human Services and Meadow Brook for free treatment, medication and diagnosis.
“My whole life has changed,” she said recently. “I have a great job, stable relationship. This is a whole new experience — I’m living life instead of surviving it.”
Her success didn’t come easily. “You have to be your own advocate and that’s hard when you’re struggling,” she observed.
Start here for mental health service in Lakeland:
LkldNow’s Insight Polk independent reporting initiative is made possible by the Community Indicators Project with funding by GiveWell Community Foundation & United Way of Central Florida. All editorial decisions are made by LkldNow.
Kayla Borg is a reporter for LkldNow, a nonprofit newsroom providing independent local news for Lakeland. Read at LkldNow.com.
The Florida problem — as described by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).
- 1 in 5 U.S. adults experiences mental illness each year.
- An estimated 796,000 adults in Florida didn’t get needed mental health care in the last year.
- Nearly half of the adults in Florida who needed mental health care in the last year and didn’t get it said cost was the reason.
- Floridians are five times more likely to have to go out-of-network for mental health care than for primary health care — making services harder to find and much more expensive.
Finding a provider is difficult.
“Therapists that see kids, couples, or do trauma work like EMDR have waitlists that are weeks long,” said Araceli Gauna-Scattolini, a licensed counselor at Lakeland’s Atala Counseling.
Try summer: If you’re having trouble finding a provider, try booking during June through August, says Jessica Dobbertin Burruso, a licensed clinical social worker at Lakeland’s Willow’s Path Counseling.
Summers can be a surprisingly good time to start therapy, Dobbertin Burruso said. “There’s a lull during the summer months. It’s a great time to build the habit before fall and get a jump-start on your mental health.”
ALSO READ: Healing: Lakeland’s shift on mental health
Cost: Health insurers can be an obstacle to getting mental health care, with high deductibles, limited coverage or no coverage at all, as well as people who may need the care but don’t have insurance.
Some mental health therapy may be available through workplace Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs), which typically cover six sessions with a licensed therapist. “It’s worth checking to see if your employer offers this benefit — especially for families that are just above the poverty line,” Dobbertin Burruso says.
When insurance doesn’t cover care, some providers will offer a “superbill” — a detailed invoice clients can submit to their insurer for possible partial reimbursement. But this still requires clients to pay up front, a hurdle for most.
Joanna’s journey: Joanna, a Lakeland resident, had her first breakdown in high school. After being laid off in 2020, she was struggling again.
For years, she pushed through it alone — until 2021, when caregiving for a grandparent and grief brought her to the edge again.
Uninsured but determined, she searched locally and found help through Lakeland Volunteers in Medicine, which referred her to Tri-County Human Services and Meadow Brook for free treatment, medication and diagnosis.
“My whole life has changed,” she said recently. “I have a great job, stable relationship. This is a whole new experience — I’m living life instead of surviving it.”
Her success didn’t come easily. “You have to be your own advocate and that’s hard when you’re struggling,” she observed.
Start here for mental health service in Lakeland:
- Atala Counseling – Individual, couples, family therapy, LGBTQ+ (sliding pay scale)
- Peace River Center – Crisis stabilization, psychiatric services
- Lakeland Volunteers in Medicine – Free mental health services for qualifying adults
- Willow Path Counseling – EMDR therapy, trauma-focused
- Black Swan Counseling – couples, families
- YFA’s SNAP Program – Free emotional regulation support for kids and families
- SAMHSA Helpline – 1-800-662-HELP (24/7 confidential support)
LkldNow’s Insight Polk independent reporting initiative is made possible by the Community Indicators Project with funding by GiveWell Community Foundation & United Way of Central Florida. All editorial decisions are made by LkldNow.
Kayla Borg is a reporter for LkldNow, a nonprofit newsroom providing independent local news for Lakeland. Read at LkldNow.com.