Guiding Clients Toward Success

Guiding Clients Toward SuccessWilson Giovanni Villanueva, M.A., Ed.S., LMHC, spent several years gaining firsthand knowledge of the needs of the community as a Department of Children and Families child protective investigator, school guidance counselor and private therapist. Understanding the unique challenges people from different viewpoints face became the driving force of his business, North Star Counseling of Central Florida, LLC. The company, a client of the UCF Business Incubator – Kissimmee, offers outpatient clinical mental health therapy to clients ranging in age from 5 to over 60 years old.

The practice opened its doors in January 2015 after achieving credentials with major providers of insurance. North Star Counseling is committed to understanding and empathizing with client’s needs, providing a variety of professional services geared toward helping them achieve their personal goals. Counselors provide services using a behavioral approach.

North Star Counseling places special emphasis on parental coaching and support as a method of assisting parents with gaining a comprehensive understanding of how to best help their children. Other areas of specialty include anxiety and panic disorders, depression, low self-esteem, grief and loss, infidelity, separation and divorce, academic learning disabilities, learning-related difficulties, section 504 plan, academic multitiered support system, exceptional special education, and career and stress management.

“North Star Counseling serves more than 40 new patients on a weekly basis, providing strong and steady recovery for both our clients and their families,” says Villanueva. “We consider the well-being of the entire family unit in our approach, as we believe that families are all connected and should be viewed as a collective institution.”

According to Villanueva, the UCF Business Incubation Program (UCFBIP) has played an integral role in the success of the practice. “The UCFBIP has provided our practice with support, coaching and mentorship,” he explains. “They have guided our steps toward success not only with focused support but also on personal and individual levels.”

North Star Counseling is a provider for Community Based Care of Central Florida and the Florida Department of Children and Families. Opening offices in Polk and Orange counties and adding educational tutoring programs are all part of the company’s future expansion plans.

For more information, visit NorthStarCounselingFL.com.