Virginia Hagen, LMHC

Virginia Hagen is a Florida-licensed mental health counselor with 35 years of professional experience. She greets people with warmth and straightforward support. She offers a calm space to talk about stress, anxiety, grief, eating concerns, addiction, and depression.

Her background includes many years working in mental health settings and a decade in private practice in Crystal River, Florida. She also spent decades as a registered nurse before retiring from that role. Those years brought experience with custody cases, children with special needs and attention challenges, and a range of clinical environments from inpatient to outpatient care.

Virginia combines clinical counseling with faith-informed perspectives for clients who value that approach. She completed a Certificate in Christian Studies at Asbury Theological Seminary and was ordained by the Federation of Christian Ministers. She also served as a hospital chaplain intern during Clinical Pastoral Education at UF Health Shands Hospital.

In sessions she focuses on practical skills people can use long term. She uses approaches such as cognitive behavioral therapy, attachment-based methods, client-centered listening, and elements of DBT and emotionally focused work. Conversations emphasize clear goals, coping skills, and problem-solving for daily life.

Her style is collaborative and down-to-earth. She encourages people to take small steps, track what helps, and build on progress. Virginia aims to help clients feel heard and better able to manage life’s changes.

How therapy approaches translate to online care

Virginia commonly uses cognitive behavioral therapy to help people identify unhelpful thoughts and test new ways of responding, a useful fit for anxiety, depression, sleep issues, and many daily struggles. Attachment-based work looks at patterns in close relationships and helps people change how they connect and rely on others. Client-centered therapy focuses on listening, empathy, and the person’s own goals to build trust and clarity.

Choosing an approach is collaborative. The therapist will talk with each person about goals, preferences, and what has helped in the past. Together they will try methods that match those needs and adjust as progress is tracked over time.

Online sessions offer practical flexibility. Video calls let people use visual cues and have a fuller conversation. Phone sessions can be helpful when bandwidth is limited or when someone prefers not to use video. Live chat and text-based messaging work for brief check-ins, progress updates, or when a shorter exchange fits the day. These options make it easier to fit therapy into work, caregiving, or busy schedules while keeping the focus on goals and skills.