About Derek
Derek Kee-Haynes is a licensed clinical social worker who helps people facing addiction, trauma, depression, and struggles with self-esteem. He focuses on LGBT concerns and related life challenges. He aims to make the first step into therapy feel manageable and respectful of each person’s story.
Derek emphasizes that people know their own lives best. He listens for strengths and resources clients already have. Sessions are practical and goal-oriented, with time spent naming obstacles and testing small changes between meetings.
Background and approach
Over eight years of work in Florida, Derek has supported people dealing with substance use, mood disorders, and the fallout from abuse. He also addresses issues like chronic illness, codependency, infidelity, and feelings of guilt or shame. His background includes work with multicultural and HIV / AIDS related concerns.
He uses evidence-based therapeutic techniques to guide conversations and develop coping tools. Derek helps clients break problems into manageable steps and practices skills together in session. He explains options clearly and adapts approaches to what each person needs.
People who choose to work with Derek can expect direct, compassionate communication and a focus on practical change. He encourages small experiments and honest check-ins about what is and isn’t helping. Derek holds a Florida LCSW license (FL LCSW SW20329).
Approaches that shape online sessions
Evidence-based therapeutic techniques are used to guide the work and to build practical skills. One common approach focuses on identifying unhelpful patterns and testing small behavior changes; this helps with addiction, mood problems, and communication issues by making problems more manageable and concrete. Another approach centers on trauma-informed conversation and paced processing, which supports people dealing with past abuse or overwhelming experiences by helping them tell their story at a tolerable pace and develop grounding skills.Finding the right method is a shared process. The therapist will talk with each person about their goals, preferences, and what has or hasn’t helped before. Together they decide which techniques to try and adjust the plan based on what feels most useful in real life.
Online formats make this work more flexible. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation and skill coaching. Phone sessions can be easier when video isn’t needed or bandwidth is limited. Live chat and text messaging suit short check-ins, coping reminders, or people who prefer writing between sessions. These options help fit therapy into busy schedules and different daily routines.
Frequently asked questions
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Specialties and expertise
Top specialties
Also works with
- Abandonment
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Codependency
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Depression
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- HIV / AIDS
- Infidelity
- Life purpose
- Mood disorders
- Multicultural concerns
- Narcissism
- Personality disorders
- Polyamory / non-monogamous relationships
- Prejudice and discrimination
- Process addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)
- Self esteem
- Self-love
- Sexuality
- Workplace issues
- Experience
- 8 years
- Licensed
- Florida
- Languages
- English