Meet the Staff

Elizabeth Ruegg, LCSW, BCD, CAP, CT, CCFS
6710 Embassy Blvd., Suite 202
Port Richey, Florida 34668
(727) 967-3320 ~ office
(727) 848-4795 ~ fax    
eruegg@tampabay.rr.com ~ email

Life sometimes feels like a trek through deep woods; a confusing place where sunlight may be absent, where it’s easy to lose your way. Think of a counselor as your woodland guide, a scout who knows much of the territory and can discern the faint markers which point the way out of the forest. Working together, counselor and client walk side-by-side through the woods, choosing paths which will lead back to the light of day.

My name is Elizabeth Ruegg . I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Board Certified Diplomate in Clinical Social Work, Certified Addictions Professional and Counseling Traumatologist specializing in the treatment of motivated adults and children who want help coping with and working through depression, anxiety, relationship dilemmas, and unresolved trauma.

My goal is nothing less than to help improve your quality of life. I bring to my practice twenty years of patience, experience and willingness to walk with you… out of the woods.

My practice specialties are:

  • Assessment and treatment of severely depressed/suicidal individuals;
  • Assessment and treatment of survivors of trauma;
  • Assessment and treatment of women with anxiety disorders;
  • Assessment and treatment of gay/lesbian concerns (coming out, relational conflicts, etc.);
  • Assessment and treatment of survivors of childhood sexual abuse
  • Assessment and treatment of Compassion Fatigue in helping professionals;
  • Assessment and treatment of child and adolescent issues including ADHD, Oppositional Behavior, Authority Issues, and Mood disorders including Depression and Bipolar disorder.

You should also know that:

  • I am licensed as a clinical social worker in New York and Florida

  • I am a Board Certified Diplomate (BCD)in Clinical Social Work. The BCD credential is a national hallmark of quality practice, recognized by payor systems, professionals, courts, and consumers, and is considered the be the gold standard of practice competency.

  • I am a Florida Certified Addictions Professional
  • I am certified as a Clinical Traumatologist by the International Traumatology Institute at the University of South Florida.
  • I am a member of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and the Tampa Bay Association for Women Psychotherapists.
  • I am a Certified Compassion Fatigue Specialist
  • Twice each year I present a three hour Suicide and Homicide Risk Assessment workshop to local area law enforcement and dispatch officers as part of their 40-hour Crisis Intervention Training coursework
  • I am approved by the Florida Board of Clinical Social Work and the Division of Medical Quality Assurance to provide Clinical Supervision for Licensure to LCSW and LMHC  interns (therapists who are attempting to become independently licensed practitioners).
  • Since 1999,  I have provided training at the National Association of Social Workers' Florida conference, Baycare Center for Learning, Boley Center, Suncoast Center, the Florida School Social Worker's Association and Pinellas County Schools on the topic of assessing and managing suicidal children and adults.