Jessie Lapek, LCSW

About Me

Welcome to Nightingale Counseling Services. My name is Jessie, and I am dedicated to fostering a therapeutic environment where clients feel safe, understood, and empowered. My passion lies in helping individuals and couples connect with their inner resilience and find paths to meaningful, lasting change. With a focus on providing personalized care, I specialize in individual therapy, couples counseling, and intensive EMDR sessions tailored to each client’s unique journey. My work is deeply rooted in the belief that a genuine, empathetic therapeutic relationship forms the foundation for transformative growth, and I strive to create a warm, authentic connection with each person I work with. My approach is shaped by a relationship-oriented philosophy, valuing the impact of supportive relationships and the importance of connection in mental wellness.

Specialties

I specialize in helping clients overcome attachment challenges, relationship struggles, trauma, and anxiety through evidence-based approaches such as Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT). My couples counseling focuses on attachment and communication, drawing from attachment theory to address underlying dynamics and to help couples build trust and foster healthy emotional bonds. In individual therapy, I work with clients to navigate complex emotional landscapes, including stress, anxiety, and trauma, fostering growth through self-reflection and deeper understanding of belief systems.

Alize Cordero, RCSWI

About Me

I am a Registered Clinical Social Work Intern (RCSWI) with a background in providing one-on-one support to individuals and families. My work is grounded in building trust and offering individualized care, and I practice under regular clinical supervision with licensed clinicians to ensure ethical, well-supported treatment. This collaborative structure allows me to continue developing as a clinician while providing clients with thoughtful, attentive care in a supportive environment.

Specialties

I provide therapy that is collaborative and reflective, with a focus on helping clients better understand their emotional experiences and patterns. My approach is informed by Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and attachment-based perspectives, supporting emotional awareness, psychological flexibility, and values-driven action. Sessions are paced intentionally and guided by each client’s goals, with space for both insight and practical steps toward meaningful personal progress.

15-Minute Consult with Alize

About

Our Approach

At Nightingale Counseling Services, therapy is more than a technique—it is a collaborative process designed to help individuals and couples understand, explore, and heal the emotional and belief systems that shape their lives. Our practice takes an emotion-centered approach, emphasizing deeper awareness of feelings, thoughts, and relational patterns. We focus on examining core beliefs and emotional responses that may contribute to distress, helping clients understand how past experiences influence present behaviors.

Across all services, therapists at Nightingale integrate compassionate, evidence-based frameworks to support meaningful insight, emotional processing, and lasting change. Clients are encouraged to explore difficult emotions in a safe, supportive environment, rebuild connections with themselves and others, and develop a renewed sense of balance and resilience.

In couples counseling, our work centers on strengthening attachment and improving communication. Therapists help partners better understand one another’s needs, repair trust, and navigate unresolved wounds. Individual therapy commonly addresses stress, trauma, anxiety, and significant life transitions, recognizing how these experiences can impact identity, emotional regulation, and self-worth.

For clients seeking deeper trauma work, intensive EMDR sessions provide a focused and supportive setting to address trauma and deeply ingrained emotional patterns, guiding clients toward relief, integration, and long-term healing.

Location

Located in Southwest Florida, my telehealth services are accessible to clients throughout Lakewood Ranch, Bradenton, Sarasota, and throughout the state of Florida. Nightingale Counseling Services is built on the value of genuine connection and compassionate support, providing a safe space for clients to explore and achieve their therapeutic goals. Whether you’re seeking weekly sessions or intensive therapy, we are here to walk with you on your path to growth, healing, and renewed resilience.