Therapist profile
Rev. Peggy Ann "Serena" Hemmer, LCSW
Licensed Clinical Social Worker - Family and parenting
Continue with PeggyAbout
- Attachment work
- CBT techniques
- Gottman principles
About Peggy
Rev. Peggy Ann "Serena" Hemmer is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in Florida with 21 years of experience. She helps people manage stress, anxiety, relationship strain, parenting challenges, trauma, depression, and issues related to intimacy and family. Serena also works with concerns like ADHD, caregiver stress, grief, and blended family problems.
She uses practical talk combined with methods drawn from attachment work, cognitive behavioral approaches, and dialectical skills. Sessions focus on understanding patterns in relationships and everyday coping skills. She also brings in elements of the Gottman Method when relationship topics come up.
Serena combines clinical experience with creative practices. Her background includes work in residential treatment and community mental health. She has used expressive arts with young people and has taught movement practices such as Tai Chi and Qi Gong in group settings. Those influences inform how she helps people notice body-mind patterns and try new ways of relating.
Her practice incorporates life coaching and spiritual perspectives for clients who want that element included. She has experience presenting workshops for families and providers on topics like maternal depression, aging, and coping skills. She has written on related topics and published a book of reflections.
People who come to Serena typically work on changing repetitive interaction patterns, reducing overwhelming emotion, improving communication, or finding more ease with parenting and caregiving. She aims to help people identify steps they can take between sessions to feel more grounded and connected.
How sessions work
How her methods translate to online work
Attachment-based work focuses on how people form and keep close bonds. It looks at patterns in how you seek comfort and connect. This can help with parenting stress, family conflict, and intimacy struggles.Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) breaks down thoughts, feelings, and actions into small parts you can change. It teaches practical steps for anxiety, depression, and sleep problems. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) offers skills for emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and better communication, useful for intense reactions or impulsivity.
Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the process. The therapist will collaborate with each person to choose which methods fit their goals and daily life. That choice can shift as work progresses.
Because the biography does not list specific online formats, confirm available session types before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and reduce travel time. Therapists and licensed professionals often adapt exercises, homework, and communication tools so the work continues between sessions.
Areas of focus
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
21+ years
Listed in
Florida
Languages
English
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What family and parenting issues does she address?
She works with parenting stress, blended family challenges, family of origin issues, caregiver stress, and communication problems within family systems.
How would you describe her therapeutic style?
She blends attachment-based ideas with cognitive behavioral tools and dialectical skills. Sessions often combine talking, problem-solving, and practical skill-building.
How much experience does she bring to this work?
She has 21 years of clinical experience, including roles in county and state mental health and residential treatment settings before private practice.
What are her credentials and where does she practice?
She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) licensed in Florida and practices from that state.
Does she work in languages other than English?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can international clients work with her?
She does not accept international clients at this time.
How are session formats arranged?
Please confirm current session options before booking, as the biography does not list specific session formats.
How does cost and scheduling work?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time. To begin, use the See online therapy options button and complete the short matching questionnaire to schedule a 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 anyone is in danger, use the crisis numbers.