As you search for a counselor, it's natural to want to know some useful information about his or her credentials and experience.

The Grounding Center is staffed by two therapists: Dana Baduna (PhD, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, and Florida Board-Approved Qualified Supervisor) and Alex Chapunoff (MS, Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Certified TIR Facilitator, and author of Mind Managing) with over thirty years of combined post-Master's professional experience.

Counseling in Spanish is available with Alex Chapunoff, LMHC, TIRF (ofresco terapia en Español). 

If you would like to schedule an appointment, please call us at 727-674-5053.

DANA BADUNA, PHD, LMFT

I follow a solution-oriented systemic approach to therapy. This means I highlight a person's visible and hidden strengths and consider each individual, couple or family within the larger context of life and culture.
 
Curiosity, empathy and respect are the qualities I value when understanding your unique struggles or traumas.
 
Although my clinical focus is on the present, I promote solutions that also consider your past experiences and future goals. 

When we are faced with pain and hardship, it is natural to seek help to get us through the hard times. Once we are forced out of our "comfort zones," anxiety, depression, anger, guilt and other emotions can fill up our lives if not properly checked and managed. 

Working through difficulties with a therapist is like having a "personal guide" to show you new ways, offer you support, eliminate what doesn't work, and encourage you to do more of what brings you happiness.

​I have practiced Aikido and value principles mindful of the mind-body-spirit connection, including harmonizing with the universal Ki energy.

ALEX CHAPUNOFF, LMHC, TIRF

More than an intellectual endeavor, counseling is a personal experience. It is a place where you can begin enriching your own understanding. When that happens, the nature of your problems changes and they often turn out to be solutions in disguise.
 
Once you try the concepts and exercises discussed, you see for yourself how they work. The process can be as interesting as it is rewarding.
 
To begin with, I closely listen to you and acknowledge where you want to be as a person. The next step is determining what changes will bring about the desired goals. Considering your views and feelings is key, and my job is to translate these into opportunities.
 
Other useful tools include guided relaxation, valuable tips on how to really communicate, and mindfulness training.

Unhappiness is often a sign you’ve outgrown your old life habits but haven't realized it yet, so you carry them around until they become a burden.
 
Counseling is a way to explore the needed changes and learn how to make them real. When done in an encouraging environment, you can experience insight and relief as well as a renewed sense of your potential.

Copyright © 2016 Grounding Center for Counseling. All rights reserved.
South Pasadena, FL