Amberleah Mercado, M.S., is a Registered Mental Health Counselor Intern and EMDR-trained therapist with more than 11 years of counseling experience helping adolescents and adults navigate trauma, mental health challenges, substance use disorders, and life transitions. A U.S. Navy veteran, Amberleah brings compassion, resilience, and a deep commitment to serving individuals from diverse backgrounds. She believes meaningful healing begins with a safe, trusting therapeutic relationship where clients feel heard, respected, and empowered to create lasting, positive change.
Amberleah earned her Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi and has completed all doctoral coursework and residencies toward her Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision at Walden University, where she is completing her dissertation with a specialization in trauma. She has also completed advanced EMDR training through Compassion Works and continues to expand her expertise through ongoing professional education and evidence-based clinical practice.
Throughout her career, Amberleah has provided counseling services in both inpatient and outpatient behavioral health settings, supporting children, adolescents, adults, couples, veterans, and families facing trauma, PTSD, anxiety, OCD, ADHD, grief, parenting challenges, relationship concerns, and substance use disorders. Her experience includes conducting psychological assessments, developing individualized treatment plans, providing EMDR and evidence-based therapeutic interventions, and collaborating with multidisciplinary teams that include psychiatrists, nurse practitioners, social workers, and other healthcare professionals. She has also led trauma recovery, parenting, and substance use treatment groups while working closely with judges and probation officers to support individuals on their path to recovery.
In addition to her clinical practice, Amberleah has served as a psychology instructor at Tallahassee Community College, supervised graduate counseling students, and contributed to counselor education as a doctoral teaching assistant and guest lecturer. Amberleah also presented on Children and Adolescents with Online Gaming Addiction in Galveston, Texas, and participated in a panel on suicide assessment awareness in Spring 2019. She also contributed a book chapter on crisis intervention in school counseling, reflecting her dedication to advancing the counseling profession through research, education, and clinical excellence.
Amberleah tailors every treatment plan to each client’s unique strengths, experiences, and goals. By combining evidence-based therapies with empathy, collaboration, and practical coping strategies, she helps individuals break unhealthy patterns, build resilience, strengthen emotional well-being, and move toward a healthier, more fulfilling life.