Rev. Peggy Ann "Serena" Hemmer , LCSW

Rev. Peggy Ann "Serena" Hemmer is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) based in Saint Petersburg, Florida, who combines clinical training with holistic methods to help people move toward greater ease and joy in their lives. She prefers to be called Serena and has worked in counseling since 2004 after a decade of service in county and state mental health and substance abuse programs. Her practice includes work with children ages 3 and up, adolescents, adults, couples, and families, and she brings a creative, whole-person perspective that attends to mind, body, and spirit.

Serena holds a Bachelor of Social Work, earned summa cum laude from Capital University, and a Master of Social Work from The Ohio State University. In Florida she is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker - a credential indicating specialized training and licensure to provide clinical psychotherapy. She also holds certifications in Rational Hypnotherapy, Gottman Couples Counseling, and Spiritual Life Coaching, and is an ordained metaphysical New Thought minister. Her background includes training and certifications as a Reiki Master Teacher, Advanced Theta Healing practitioner, and Access Bars Practitioner, and she has taught Tai Chi and Qi Gong for state employees.

Influenced by expressive arts and play, Serena weaves creative modalities into work with youth and families and previously established an Expressive Arts Clinical Program at a residential behavioral health center for young people. She founded a private practice in Ohio in 2006 before relocating to Florida. Over a career that spans clinical work, program development, workshops, and publications including the book I Am Me, I Am (2020), she applies education, experience, and intuition to support clients in finding their own answers and reclaiming their authentic selves.

Therapeutic Approaches for Online Care

Attachment-Based Therapy focuses on how early relationships shape current patterns of connection and trust. It helps people understand relationship dynamics, heal attachment wounds, and build more secure bonds with partners or family members.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) teaches practical skills to identify and change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors. It is useful for managing anxiety, depression, stress, and improving coping with everyday challenges.

Gottman Method couples work offers structured tools for partners to improve communication, manage conflict, and strengthen emotional connection through research-informed exercises and skill-building.

Choosing the right approach is part of the therapeutic process. Serena collaborates with each person to explore goals, preferences, and needs, and adjusts methods to find the best fit over time with input from the client.

Online therapy through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging makes it easier to fit sessions into busy schedules and to connect from different locations. These options provide flexibility in how and when people engage with licensed professionals and therapists, supporting continuity of care while accommodating work, family, and mobility needs.