Jacqueline Vanderby

M.S., Registered Mental Health Counseling Intern

Pronouns: She / Her

Jacqueline Vanderby, M.S., is a Registered Mental Health Counseling Intern with True You Always. Based in Melbourne, Florida, she provides in-person therapy in Melbourne, FL and telehealth therapy to clients throughout Florida. She specializes in trauma, PTSD, anxiety, and borderline personality disorder (BPD). Jackie is especially well-suited for tweens, teens, and adults navigating emotional overwhelm, hidden distress, major life transitions, and the pressure of trying to hold everything together.

(321) 294-3363

License: Registered Mental Health Counseling Intern, Florida, (IMH 28927)
Practice: True You Always | Telehealth therapy throughout Florida, based in Merritt Island, FL
Supervision: Josette Lopez Shipman, LMHC-QS, (MH 8590)

Primary Specialties: Trauma, PTSD, Anxiety & Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)
Additional Focus: OCD Overlap, Neurodivergence, Highly Sensitive People, Disordered Eating

(Tweens, Teens, & Adults)

Many of the people who seek Jackie’s support are carrying more than others realize. Some are tweens and teens whose pain is being misread as moodiness, defiance, perfectionism, avoidance, or overreaction when something deeper is happening underneath. Others are adults who appear composed and capable while privately dealing with anxiety, trauma, emotional instability, or long-standing patterns that leave them feeling stuck and worn down.

Jackie is often a strong fit for:

tweens and teens whose distress shows up through emotional outbursts, withdrawal, perfectionism, shutdown, or sudden changes adults may miss or misread
young adults and adults navigating trauma, PTSD, anxiety, or BPD-related patterns that affect relationships, identity, and emotional regulation
clients with OCD-related struggles, intrusive thoughts, or chronic self-criticism who feel overwhelmed by what is happening internally, even when they appear put together externally
neurodivergent or disordered eating clients whose struggles may overlap with anxiety, control, overwhelm, or trauma

She works especially well with people who are ready for change but feel unsure how to get there emotionally. Her style is calming, direct, and supportive, helping clients slow down, understand themselves more clearly, and begin moving forward.

How These Struggles Often Show Up

Jackie often works with clients who are struggling more than the people around them realize.

Clients may describe:

seeming calm or high-functioning on the outside while feeling overwhelmed internally
wondering why everyday life feels harder for them than it seems to for other people
withdrawing from friends, school, routines, or activities they used to enjoy
emotional outbursts, shutdown, irritability, or sudden changes that others misread as attitude or disinterest
intense pressure to be perfect, in control, or constantly “good”
getting stuck in anxious thought spirals and feeling mentally exhausted
feeling misunderstood by parents, teachers, partners, or friends who only see part of the picture

For tweens and teens especially, Jackie often sees young people who hold it together in public and then unravel at home, where the pressure finally has somewhere to go. She also works with young clients whose distress shows up through withdrawal, school struggles, emotional intensity, or an intense focus on social approval.

What Therapy With Jackie Is Like

Therapy with Jackie is person-centered, calming, collaborative, and supportive.

She believes clients should have a meaningful voice in the direction of sessions. Many people are surprised by how relaxed and open they feel once therapy begins, especially if they came in worried they would not know what to say or do.

Her style is warm and humanistic, but also direct. She pays close attention to each client’s level of comfort, readiness, anxiety, and emotional capacity in the moment. She tends to encourage before she challenges, helping clients build confidence and emotional safety before moving further into difficult material.

Clients can expect:

a supportive space where they do not have to have everything figured out before they start
a therapist who adjusts pace based on their readiness and emotional capacity
thoughtful guidance without taking away their autonomy
practical coping tools alongside deeper emotional work
encouragement around progress, including the small wins that often get overlooked

Book an Appointment

Clinical Approach

Jackie’s clinical work centers on trauma, PTSD, anxiety, BPD-related patterns, and the quieter forms of emotional distress that can be easy to overlook. She frequently works with clients experiencing emotional overwhelm, trauma-related symptoms, self-criticism, life transitions, and difficulty feeling understood. Her work with tweens and teens is especially shaped by noticing the early signs adults often miss, including internalized anxiety, emotional masking, and distress that gets mistaken for behavior problems.

Jackie uses an integrative, trauma-informed approach and draws from:

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Trauma-Focused CBT (TF-CBT)
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Solution-Focused Therapy
Person-Centered / Humanistic approaches
Play Therapy when appropriate

She has also had training in ERP and plans to continue expanding into polyvagal work, somatic movement, and art therapy.

Neurodivergence & Overlap

Jackie supports neurodivergent individuals who need practical help with emotional regulation, daily functioning, and life skills. Her background in psychosocial rehabilitation, coaching, and counseling gives her a grounded understanding of how anxiety, sensory stress, overwhelm, and feeling misunderstood can overlap in everyday life.

She is especially thoughtful with clients who identify as autistic, ADHD, or otherwise different from what the world expects. She also understands how trauma, anxious thinking, and disordered eating can overlap with neurodivergence in ways that make healing more layered and individualized.

Training & Professional Background

Jackie’s clinical background spans psychosocial rehabilitation, trauma-informed care, and work with survivors of domestic violence — experience that shapes her grounded, thoughtful approach to complex emotional struggles.

In addition to her clinical work, Jackie serves as a board member for LOTUS, a nonprofit that helps individuals with autism access services and community resources.

Credentials

Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling — Capella University
Bachelor of Science in Psychology — University of Central Florida, Orlando FL
Associate of the Arts — Eastern Florida State College, Brevard County, FL.
Registered Mental Health Counseling Intern — Florida, (IMH 28927)
Board Member — LOTUS

Insurance & Payment

Jackie accepts:

Aetna
Blue Cross Blue Shield (including out-of-state plans with BlueCard)
Cigna
Health First (Cigna / Allegiance plans)

Self-Pay Rate: $105 per session

Availability

Provides in-person therapy in Melbourne, Florida and secure telehealth therapy for Brevard County, Orlando, and throughout Florida. Jackie currently has availability.

A Note from Jackie

“Healing begins in a space where you feel seen, heard, and supported.”

Jackie’s work is rooted in helping clients better understand themselves, build practical skills, and move toward a life that feels more grounded, empowered, and emotionally manageable.

Book an Appointment

160 Island Beach Blvd
Merritt Island, FL 32952

(321) 613-8685

Counseling offered via online
telehealth in Wisconsin & Florida.

Life Coaching offered via telehealth in all states