About Dr. Holly Spotts

Why am I the therapist for you?

Because I’ve been there.

In addition to being a therapist, I’m also a woman, business owner, wife, mother, daughter, and friend.

I know firsthand the demands on modern women to balance family, career, household, and personal obligations.

I know what it feels like to run yourself into the ground and question whether you’re really doing any of it well enough.

I know the pain of trauma, divorce, growing up with an emotionally unavailable parent, and raising a child with special needs.

I’ve struggled with anxiety, perfectionism, and feeling responsible for everyone else’s happiness and well-being.

How I became a therapist…

I have always been very curious about people, seeking to learn as much as I could to understand them better. I realized that If I could make sense of their ways, I could have empathy for them. Little did I know that I would come to discover and know myself in my quest to understand others better.

Prioritizing my own mental health and choosing to live with intention and connection to my own truth brought me a peace I had never known before. Having experienced healing through my own therapy journey only furthered my love for psychology and inspired me to help others find the same freedom.

I’m grateful for every single moment of my life, as difficult as many of them have been, because they led me to you. I’ve been there, I see you, and I want to help.

I am excited to share what I’ve learned with you and honored to be a part of your healing journey, too.

Here’s how we’ll work together…

Creating a safe haven for you to feel at ease is my first priority. I am a therapist who listens with genuine presence and asks thoughtful questions to help you find your inner truth.

My style is warm, calm, approachable, gentle, and collaborative. I’m not a fast-paced, advice-giving therapist, but I do give direct and honest feedback.

I like to go deeper while balancing acceptance and change. While sincerely validating your emotions and experiences, I will gently orient you toward the changes you want to see in your life.

I tend to conceptualize cases from a more psychodynamic perspective, taking into consideration attachment patterns, early life experiences, and relationships histories. My therapeutic tool bag is vast, and I believe in customized treatment because what may work for you may not work for someone else and vice versa. I often weave in interventions from Emotion-Focused Individual Therapy (EFiT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).

Together, we will create something new.

Here are my credentials…

Psy.D., Alliant International University, 2004, Clinical Psychology
M.A., Alliant International University, 2001, Clinical Psychology
B.A., University of Arizona, 1998, Psychology and Child & Family Studies
Licensed Psychologist, California, PSY#22057
Licensed Psychologist, Mississippi, #54 965
Licensed Psychologist, Florida, #TPPY1062

Some of my professional experience…

My clinical training was well-rounded and involved direct experience with clients of all ages and levels of psychological health in various settings, from community mental health… to day treatment… to schools.

I went on to teach undergraduate psychology courses as an adjunct professor while working as a psychologist in various milieus, including a psychiatric hospital, an eating disorders clinic, a non-public school, a residential facility for high-risk teens, an emergency shelter, and a military base.

I’ve also served as a clinical supervisor for psychology graduate students, APA pre-doctoral interns, and postdoctoral fellows. In addition, I’ve been a mental health consultant to schools and various public and private organizations.

In 2014, I decided to go into private practice to live a life more in line with my values, have a better work-life balance, and find a better way to provide the highest quality of care to my clients.