Lucas Verdeja

Lucas Verdeja is a Marriage and Family Therapy Graduate Student Intern completing his Master’s degree at Nova Southeastern University. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Florida International University, along with a Certificate in Team Management and a Minor in Philosophy.

Lucas believes therapy works best when it feels safe, collaborative, and genuine. He strives to create a space where clients can openly explore their emotions, build trust, and feel supported in navigating life’s challenges. His approach emphasizes helping individuals become more in tune with themselves while also strengthening their connections with others.

Before joining this practice, Lucas trained at Nova Southeastern’s Individual, Couple, and Family Therapy Clinic and worked with Harmonious Minds, gaining experience with individuals, couples, and families from diverse backgrounds. These roles have provided him with a strong foundation in supporting clients through concerns such as anxiety, depression, relationship challenges, life transitions, and recovery from substance use.

At the practice, Lucas primarily works with adolescents, young adults, and couples. He integrates Emotionally Focused Therapy and Solution Focused Coaching, while drawing on systemic theories to help clients understand the patterns shaping their relationships. By using a systemic lens, Lucas guides clients in recognizing how their challenges are influenced by and influence their relationships, empowering them to create healthier dynamics and lasting change: “We are not isolated beings, but part of a web of relationships that give meaning to our lives”

Above all, Lucas values curiosity, empathy, and collaboration. He is committed to empowering clients to recognize their strengths, build resilience, and move toward the meaningful changes they wish to see in their lives.

What Is A Master’s Level Graduate Student Intern?

Generally speaking, our interns are students at the Master’s level who are earning hours towards their desired graduate degree. They have completed most of all their required coursework or “book knowledge” and they are in the final stages of completing their degree. They are required to obtain 700 practice hours prior to being awarded their graduate degree. They are not employees of the practice; however, they work with us as affiliates. Family Therapy Group of Weston enters into a contract with NSU and offers them a clinical site to gain experience while also offering clinical supervision at no cost to the student or the university. In exchange, Family Therapy Group of Weston is able to set a lower rate for those counseling sessions, which benefits the public and also helps cover the overhead costs of having them on site and providing them with regular, scheduled clinical supervision as well as after hours or emergency supervision.

To be an intern with Family Therapy Group of Weston, they must have had prior experience working in the mental health field, some personal or professional experience with trauma, OR possess a skill set that sets them apart from the average intern. Our interns undergo a fairly rigorous process that includes a preliminary candidate questionnaire that requires some in-depth questions around their experience. If selected, they are required to spend the first 50 hours of their placement in sessions with our seasoned therapists. This allows them to observe a wide array of clients and therapeutic styles. It also helps them begin formulating their professional identity and allows our seasoned therapists to see them in action with clients.

Interns receive weekly supervision from their university supervisor. They are also required to have weekly on-site supervision with a site supervisor for the duration of their placement (4 hours a month). They may participate in several consult groups with our licensed staff and leadership team, depending on their clients and areas of specialty. In addition, several of our interns obtain training in other treatment modalities such as EMDR, Brainspotting, Trauma-Informed Hypnosis, Gottman Couples Counseling, etc. at some point during their internship to prepare them to launch into their role as a Master’s Level Counselor.

We see having interns as the key to keeping costs low without sacrificing the standard of care. It’s also a way to invest in the counseling profession through education and mentoring.