Before the headlines. Before the body. Before the murder charge, Travis McBride was simply a man in a quiet therapy office, with a notebook, two dogs, and a license in good standing.
You probably wouldn’t have noticed his building from the road. It was squat, nondescript, one unit in an aging strip mall with a barber shop. The words Starting Point Mental Health were painted on the front window. That was it.
Inside, the lights were low. The air smelled faintly of sage or eucalyptus. There was a reception desk and a few chairs, then the room where he met with clients. A side table held psychology magazines, a bowl of peppermint candy, and—more often than not—two dogs curled up on the floor.
They were therapy dogs. German Shepherd mixes—one brown, one black, a male and female he was breeding. One would thump its tail when the door opened. The other would look at you without blinking, then go back to sleep. People remembered them.
Then Travis McBride would step out from the back.
He stood about five-foot-seven. Solid build. Broad shoulders. Middle-aged, with light skin, close-cropped graying hair, and a neatly trimmed beard. He wore glasses, always practical, never stylish. Button-down shirts in quiet colors. Slacks or dark jeans. Nothing flashy. Nothing to remember, except the stillness.
His voice was low and even. Measured. The kind of voice you could trust.
“Come on in,” he’d say. “Have a seat and we’ll get started.”
He’d settle into his chair—a recliner—legs crossed, notebook balanced on his knee. The dogs would stretch and settle. One might inch closer to you.
For a lot of people, that was all they ever saw. A counselor. An advisor. A trusted face.
A therapist in good standing
Travis Michael McBride held a Florida license in mental health counseling—LMHC.
It was active. It had no restrictions. There were no public complaints. He’d also been registered with the Florida Division of Corporations since 2016, under his own private practice: Starting Point Mental Health, LLC.
Before settling into the New York Avenue location, McBride worked out of other offices in DeLand—Stone Street, Amelia Avenue, Woodland Boulevard. His listings appear in directories going back over a decade.
He had a master’s degree in counseling. He specialized in anxiety, depression, trauma, and emotional regulation. Several sites referred to him as an “anxiety disorder specialist.” Others noted his focus on grief, stress management, and spiritual wellness.
His style was described as supportive, nonjudgmental, and gentle.
“You set the pace,” he told clients. “You set the goals. I’ll help you reach them.”
There was no reason not to believe him.
A voice of calm
His professional website, now offline, was once filled with quiet encouragement.
“You may not control all the events that happen to you,” one quote read, “but you can decide not to be reduced by them.” — Maya Angelou
He favored voices like the Dalai Lama, Thich Nhat Hanh, Buddha. His blog—sporadic, reflective—offered thoughts on forgiveness, presence, and healing.
“Healing happens in the heart before it happens in the world,” he once wrote.
He offered evening appointments. He didn’t advertise heavily. He didn’t need to.
Those who found him did so because they were looking for a safe place to land.
And on the surface, that’s exactly what he gave them.
A record of trust
As of January 2024, when he was arrested for shooting first-degree, premeditated murder:
McBride’s LMHC license was current and clear with the Florida Department of Health
His business, Starting Point Mental Health, LLC, was in good standing with the state
He had no public record of complaints, investigations, or disciplinary actions
He maintained listings on Sharecare, TherapistFinder, Psychology Today, and local mental health directories
His practice had been open for over seven years
By every available measure, Travis McBride was what he appeared to be: a professional. Licensed. Educated. Experienced.
A man with a quiet office and two well-behaved dogs.
The rest of the story
There’s more to the story. There always is. But this part—the office, the dogs, the calm voice—this is what most people knew about Travis McBride until January 2024.
This is the face he showed the world.
Sources
Florida Department of Health. License Lookup. Accessed April 11, 2025. https://appsmqa.doh.state.fl.us/MQASearchServices/Home.
Florida Division of Corporations. "Starting Point Mental Health, LLC Business Entity Search." Accessed April 11, 2025. https://search.sunbiz.org/Inquiry/CorporationSearch/SearchResults?inquiryType=EntityName&searchTerm=Starting%20Point%20Mental%20Health%20LLC.
Psychology Today. “Travis M McBride, LMHC.” Accessed April 11, 2025. https://therapists.psychologytoday.com/rms/name/Travis+M+McBride_LMHC_Deland_Florida_158176.
Sharecare. “Travis McBride, LMHC – Anxiety Disorder Specialist – Deland, FL.” Accessed April 11, 2025. https://www.sharecare.com/doctor/travis-mcbride-hft2c.
Wayback Machine. Archive of Starting Point Mental Health website. Accessed April 11, 2025. https://web.archive.org/web/20221201000000*/http://startingpointmentalhealth.com.
Wayback Machine. Archive of Starting Point Mental Health Blog. Accessed April 11, 2025. https://web.archive.org/web/*/http://startingpointmentalhealth.com/blog.