Scarlett Olivares

Scarlett Olivares, LMHC, CAP, earned her Bachelor’s degree in Clinical Psychology from the Catholic University of Santo Domingo in 2004. During her studies, she completed a one-year internship at Padre Billini Psychiatric Hospital, where she counseled individuals with chronic mental illness. Her thesis explored the emotional traits of abandoned street children in Santo Domingo.

After relocating to Florida, Scarlett worked as a non-residential counselor for Lutheran Services Florida (LSF), providing counseling and prevention services to truant, ungovernable, and runaway youth and their families. Over her seven-year tenure at LSF, she served as a member of the Collier County Truancy Court and the Youth Resource Center, utilizing her bilingual and bicultural background to support high-risk families.

Driven by a passion for helping youth, Scarlett specialized in addiction and substance abuse counseling. While pursuing her Master’s degree at Hodges University, she interned at the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation and later joined their outpatient program. She also provided counseling services for DUI clients through Catholic Charities Diocese of Venice, Inc. Scarlett earned her Master’s degree with honors in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Hodges University in 2015.

She is trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), a highly effective, evidence-based treatment for trauma. Scarlett has worked with clients of all ages at Elite DNA, where she contributed to the development of the first care coordination program in Southwest Florida. From August 2018 to February 2020, she served as Chief Clinical Officer (CCO) at the Center for Progress and Excellence (CPE), where she helped develop the Mobile Crisis Team and collaborated closely with the Department of Juvenile Justice to provide mental and behavioral health services.