He is the founder and director of the counseling center in St. Petersburg, Florida, where he offers individual, couple and family counseling. Mood disorders including anxiety, depression, anger management as well as eating disorders, addictions, weight loss, trauma and transitions, are specialties.
Dr. Petit is a Certified Addictions Professional. He offers short-term outpatient intensive and long-term follow up counseling, addressing the personal and spiritual aspects of an addiction. His model of counseling provides understanding for individuals on the journey to sobriety and addiction free living. The family, impacted by addiction, is also a specialty as parents, spouses, significant others and friends seek to be positive responders.
As a trained trauma specialist, Dr. Petit offers EMDR in his practice for those suffering with the effects of post-traumatic stress. EMDR is an accepted psychotherapy by leading mental health organizations throughout the world for the treatment of a variety of symptoms and conditions. EMDR is a therapy that is listed in the new Department of Veterans Affairs & Department of Defense Practice Guidelines "A" category as "highly recommended" for the treatment of trauma.
As a certified IDAK Career Assessment Counselor, Dr. Petit also provides a testing service for clients seeking to identify their natural talents and fitted careers. The IDAK test blends interests, values, experiences, and personality traits to identify natural talents and provide suggestions for career options.
Dr. Petit and his wife of 30 years, Ruthie Petit, M.A., also a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Qualified Supervisor, offer seminars on marriage and parenting and individually speak on various relationship related topics. Ruthie Petit specializes in individual coaching for professional, personal, and family enrichment.
Dr. Petit earned his doctorate from the University of South Florida-Tampa in Counselor Education, his Masters in Counseling from Grace Theological Seminary, and his bachelor's degree from the University of Illinois-Urbana. His professional memberships also include the American Association for Christian Counselors, the American Mental Health Counselors Association and the Florida Mental Health Counselors Association.
Dr. Petit and his wife, Ruthie, live in the Tampa Bay area of Florida. They have two adult children.