James Gilligan

James Gilligan earned his Master of Social Work from Florida International University in 1998 and became licensed in Florida in 2000. He is a Florida-licensed clinical social worker and has 20 years of experience providing therapeutic services.

Early in his career he spent several years working with children in the Miami-Dade County school system, offering individual, group, and family therapy. He has also worked with people diagnosed with severe mental illness, including bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and major depression.

Since 2007 he has worked with active duty military, focusing on marital concerns as well as individual therapy for anxiety, depression, persistent worries, and post-traumatic stress. His work with service members has also included cases involving domestic violence.

James has developed expertise in supporting adults who come from dysfunctional family systems and who carry that trauma into their adult relationships and families. He also has experience addressing addictions and eating disorders, and he has provided marital counseling after receiving training in Gottman marriage approaches.

His treatment approach draws on multiple evidence-based methods - cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), and motivational interviewing - with a practical focus on helping clients achieve the changes they want in their lives.