ORLANDO, Fla. — An Orange County mental health counselor was stabbed to death during a therapy session by a former client, while another client was critically injured in the attack. Authorities said the suspect was later found dead from what appears to have been self-inflicted wounds.
Rebecca White, 44, a licensed mental health counselor, and an unidentified male client were stabbed Monday night at White’s Winter Park office on Lee Road. The Orange County Sheriff’s Office said the attack happened while White was in session with the male client.
Investigators identified the suspect as Michael Smith, 39, a former client of White. Authorities said Smith barged into the office during the counseling session around 9 p.m. in the 900 block of Lee Road near Adanson Street.
According to deputies, Smith demanded to speak with White and was behaving erratically. White ordered him to leave. When the male client, described as being in his 30s, told Smith he was calling 911, Smith allegedly pulled out a knife and attacked both White and the client.
Both victims were transported to a nearby hospital. White later died from her injuries. The male client underwent surgery and remained in critical condition, though authorities said he is expected to survive.
Smith fled the scene following the stabbing. He was later found dead Tuesday morning at a residence in the 9000 block of Windy Ridge Road. Investigators believe he died from self-inflicted stab wounds in an apparent suicide.
Authorities said it is not yet clear how long Smith had previously been a client of White, when their professional relationship ended, or what led him to return to her office. Investigators described the incident as a targeted attack.
Nearby offices were briefly placed on lockdown while deputies secured the area.
White was the owner of Down to Earth Therapy Solutions, which she founded in 2022. According to her professional profiles, she specialized in anxiety and stress-related therapy and had worked as a licensed mental health counselor for approximately 20 years. She provided individual and couples counseling at her office on Lee Road.
Officials have not released a motive, and the investigation remains ongoing.
