Services that bridge Mind and Body

Services that bridge Mind and Body

Whether your child is struggling academically or needs help coping with overwhelming life stressors, trauma, or challenges related to their neurodiversity; we can help. School & societal expectations present plenty of challenges for young people. Finding support for learning, mental health and wellness shouldn’t be one of them.

We provide evaluation, counseling, and an integrative approach to mental wellness, including yoga, to equip youth with the tools they need for greater success.

Welcome to Bear in Mind and Body: Integrative School Psychology and Yoga

We’re building balance in the community.

The mind and body are closely intertwined systems. Our goal is to empower youth to create alignment across these systems, which include physical states, thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and relationships with others for a balanced life. Becoming Empowered At the Root with mindful awareness and thoughtful action ensures we build a stronger, more balanced self, family, and community.

Bear in Mind and Body is a full-service mental health practice serving the Lakeland area and beyond since 2022. With over 25 years of experience, we provide proven solutions that help create a balance between mental and physical wellness.

We’re Changing the Way You Think About Mental Health Services

We proudly provide psychological and wellness solutions for school-aged children in Lakeland, Florida.

Strength-Based

Our approach to assessment and mental health services honors your child’s individual strengths and resourcefulness. We focus on supporting youth in building the capacity and resilience to help them identify and embrace their unique abilities and value, recognize their inner power, and navigate the challenges they face in the ways that work best for them to reach their goals.

Whole Child Centered

We utilize a whole child perspective when considering the needs of our clients. Academic learning, physical well-being, mental health, behavior, and relationships with others have a direct impact on one another and work together. We consider each of these factors when working with your child to develop an integrative plan that helps them meet their full potential.

Flexible & Compassionate

We work hard to create a youth-friendly atmosphere and a personal connection with your child so they feel safe to express themselves and explore new ideas and skills. We utilize a variety of counseling and intervention approaches in multiple learning modalities to keep them actively engaged and motivated with the goal of making their experience meaningful and empowering.

Our Team

Lori Garner, Ed.S.
Lori Garner, Ed.S.School Psychologist, Owner
Lori is a licensed school psychologist with over 25 years experience working with local schools. She has completed yoga teacher training and specialized training in “Yoga and Mindfulness for Children and Youth with Complex Needs” that includes ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, mental health issues, trauma, and other neuro-diverse needs. She is dedicated to sharing this integrative approach to mental health and development in ways that are inclusive, compassionate, and accessible to all children and youth.
Amy Randell, Ed.S.
Amy Randell, Ed.S.School Psychologist
Amy has more than 20 years experience working in education both as a special education teacher and as a school psychologist. She is committed to helping young people build on their strengths and help them navigate the challenges of each day. She creates a warm and welcoming environment that is supportive, empathetic and encouraging. Her years of working in education provide a unique perspective when helping families navigate through the school system to gain supports.

Our team utilizes various evidence-based approaches, and these vary depending on the personality of the child and the problem presented. We also integrate holistic approaches such as mindfulness and therapeutic yoga practices to build self-awareness, emotional regulation, and resiliency.

The integration of these experiences offers a unique treatment approach to equip children and teens with the self awareness, self regulation, coping skills, and agency they need to overcome barriers to wellness and achievement. 

our services

COUNSELING/INTEGRATIVE MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES

As school psychologists, we offer services to support the social, emotional, and behavioral health of young children up to young adults through a variety of counseling and mental health intervention approaches designed to empower their ability to cope with stressors and better access their learning environment. Mental health counseling for youth based primarily in the Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) model and can also be integrated with yoga, mindfulness, nature-based, and play-based strategies. Our work also includes psychoeducation to build skills in social interaction and flexibility in navigating social expectations in various settings.

Integrative practices that incorporate a combination of counseling, psychoeducation, yoga, mindfulness, art, music, nature-based, or play-based activities may take place in the office, client’s home, or an alternate outdoor locations, such as a local park, depending on the activities planned.

Our Detailed Services

  • Anger Management

  • Anxiety

  • Attention Deficit Disorders (ADHD)

  • Autism

  • Behavioral Difficulties

  • Depression

  • Executive Functioning

  • Grief

and many more!

COMPREHENSIVE PSYCHOEDUCATIONAL EVALUATIONS

Our team also offers comprehensive psychoeducational evaluation services for children and adolescents to identify barriers to learning and to help determine the best instructional strategies to improve learning outcomes for students. Areas of expertise include specific learning disabilities, such as dyslexia, ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and dual exceptionalities.

INTERVENTION PLANS FOR ACADEMICS AND BEHAVIOR

We use evaluation results and the information shared by parents and teachers to aid us in developing intervention plans designed to close gaps in learning or behavior. We also provide resources and tools to monitor progress. For our home education and private school students, we can help with providing evidence-based interventions that align with requirements for tiered intervention supports (MTSS) and response to intervention documentation if your child is in the evaluation and eligibility process for consideration of services within Exceptional Student Education.

Frequently Asked Questions

Please see our common questions below. If there is a question you have that isn’t listed, please give us a call!

We do not accept insurance at this time. However, if you are interested in seeking reimbursement from your insurance company, it is recommended that you contact your insurance company as soon as possible to obtain pre-approval and clear information about documentation and reimbursement rates. The office of Bear in Mind and Body will gladly provide an itemized form or “super bill” with service codes and dates of service to assist you in this process upon request.

Cash, Check, Visa, Mastercard, Discover. Credit cards are processed using a secure, HIPAA-secure credit card processing service called IVY PAY. Card processing adheres to PCI Data Security Standard (PCI DSS). All clients of Bear in Mind and Body paying by either check or credit will be asked to keep a current card on file through the IVY PAY app, using your mobile device.

We work with children as young as 4 up to young adults/college age students for evaluation and individual counseling. We provide consultation services for parents and occasionally offer parent support groups as well. Individualized yoga practices are available across the lifespan.

We offer individualized yoga practices that include yoga postures, breath practices, meditation, etc. These practices are incorporated within sessions to support to support overall wellbeing and as therapeutic aid in meeting treatment goals. For example, we may incorporate yoga practices that aid in downregulating the nervous system and reduce symptoms of anxiety.

We believe that the therapeutic relationship is best established face-to-face. However, telehealth services are available for established clients when face-to-face is not possible to maintain continuity.

Not at all. While we believe yoga practices, including yoga postures, mindfulness, meditation, and breath practices, to be very therapeutic in regard to supporting mental health and creating balance, we meet clients where they are and create treatment plans that best align with their goals, needs and comfort level.

School psychologists have received specialized training in both psychology and education. We have expertise in mental health, learning, and behavior, to help children and youth succeed academically, socially, behaviorally, and emotionally. School psychologists understand that school district procedures and effective teaching strategies are necessary for a child’s success. We have extensive knowledge of child development including the various developmental, neurological, and mental health disorders that impact development and learning. We conduct psychological testing to help identify these conditions and a child’s strengths and weaknesses to aid in the design of identification of appropriate academic or behavioral interventions. We partner with families, educators and other professionals to create supportive learning environments.

School psychologists are required to complete graduate program with either a specialist-level (60+ credit hours) or doctorate-level (90+ credit hours) degree, including a year- long, 1200 hour, supervised internship.

For more information, go to https://www.nasponline.org/about-school-psychology/who-are-school-psychologists.

It is true that your child’s zone school can complete an evaluation to consider eligibility for Exceptional Student Education (ESE) at no cost to you. What that evaluation looks like is up to the school-based team and may or may not include a comprehensive psycho-educational evaluation by a school psychologist. When it does, the process and assessment tools utilized are similar in both school and private settings.

Our approach to evaluation honors a student’s strengths and is designed to identify barriers to learning with the purpose of determining the best instructional strategies to improve learning outcomes that are aligned with grade-level curriculum expectations. We work hard to create a friendly, safe space so students feel comfortable and secure with the assessment procedures and expectations. We have the flexibility of working within our own timetable to adequately work through issues of testing anxiety or behaviors such as distractibility. We also offer weekend appointments, avoiding lost instructional time due to testing. With our experience working within the public school system, we also understand the referral and evaluation process for Exceptional Student Education (ESE) services and can support you in navigating this process, including the Multi-tiered System of Supports (MTSS) and Response to Intervention (RtI).

The cost of evaluations varies based on the complexity of need and time involved. Fees range from $400 for a gifted evaluation up to $1200 for comprehensive evaluations to fully address the needs of individuals with possible autism spectrum disorder.

We can best be reached by phone or text at (863) 320-2722. When communicating via text, download the iPlum app for added HIPAA compliant security in messaging.

Interested in scheduling a consultation?

Complete a pre-screen and create a HIPAA secure account and request a consultation call. Once we determine our services are a good match for you, you will have an account and access online scheduling through the EMR service, Luminello.

We’re Ready to Help!

Our team of trained school psychologists believe in your child and the goals we can set together. If you are ready to begin a journey with a caring, compassionate team dedicated to help your child grow, please submit a pre-screen application below.