ADDICTION & TRAUMA THERAPIST IN PALM BEACH GARDENS
Meet Mark St John, LCSW
I have spent much of my career helping people through addiction, trauma and the complicated places where the two overlap.
After nearly three decades in treatment settings, clinical leadership and private practice, I have learned that recovery rarely follows a straight line. My role is to bring experience, perspective and practical tools while helping you find a path that actually works in your life.
HOW I WORK
You are more than the problem that brought you here.
Addiction, trauma and mental health concerns can make people feel defined by what they are struggling with.
I do not see you that way.
I want to understand the full picture: what happened, what you have tried, what keeps repeating and what you want your life to look like instead.
Therapy is not about handing you a formula and expecting you to follow it perfectly. It is about using sound clinical principles, experience and honest conversation to help you understand what is keeping you stuck and what can help you move forward.
MY SPECIALTIES AND APPROACH
I help patients navigating:
Problem drinking
Problem drug use
Substance use disorders
Relapse prevention
Addiction recovery
Trauma
PTSD
Anxiety and depression
Broader mental health concerns
Faith-integrated therapy
12-Step recovery
Depending on your needs, therapy may incorporate:
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) for trauma processing
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to identify and change unhelpful thought and behavior patterns
Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) to challenge beliefs that contribute to emotional distress
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) to support emotional regulation and coping
Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) for trauma and PTSD
Psychodynamic and psychoanalytic approaches to explore deeper patterns and experiences
Change is possible.
Therapy can help you find your way toward it.
CLINICAL BACKGROUND & EXPERTISE
Nearly three decades of work in addiction, trauma and mental health.
I began my professional practice in 1998, and much of my career has been devoted to addiction recovery and trauma resolution. I have worked in treatment centers, community treatment settings, nonprofit agencies and private practice, including serving in both Program Director and Clinical Director roles.
That experience has allowed me to work with diverse patient populations and with people at many different stages of recovery. It has also reinforced something I have seen throughout my career: addiction, trauma and mental health are often deeply interconnected.
I hold advanced certification in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and use trauma-focused treatment to help patients safely process profound emotional wounds. When trauma is part of what is driving current symptoms, addressing those experiences can open the door to deeper and more lasting change.
My work in addiction recovery is also informed by extensive knowledge of the 12-Step model of Alcoholics Anonymous and related programs. I understand both the clinical and spiritual principles of recovery and can incorporate them into relapse prevention and ongoing recovery work when they are meaningful to the patient.
For patients seeking a faith-integrated approach, I am also comfortable blending sound psychological principles with Christian spiritual foundations. I believe faith can be a powerful source of connection, meaning, hope and personal growth. At the same time, faith integration is always guided by the needs and beliefs of the person I am working with.
Today, I am also a Florida Qualified Supervisor, mentoring and supporting the next generation of clinical social workers.
THERAPY WITH MARK ST JOHN
Ready to Talk About What Comes Next?
A free 15-minute phone consultation gives us a chance to talk briefly about what is happening, what you want to change and whether working together makes sense.