Rachel Brunelle, RMHCI

Welcome — I’m Rachel Brunelle, a mental health therapist at Psychology House. My heart for counseling is to walk alongside people during challenging seasons, offering a safe and compassionate space where they can find healing, clarity, and hope. I believe therapy should feel collaborative, compassionate, and tailored to your unique experiences and goals.

My approach to counseling is flexible and integrative because no two people experience anxiety, depression, communication issues, or grief in the same way. I draw from person-centered, trauma-informed, cognitive behavioral, and solution-focused approaches to support each client's individual needs. Together, we will work to better understand patterns, develop practical coping skills, and create meaningful, lasting change. My goal is to create a space where clients feel both supported and empowered as they move toward growth.

Maternal Mental Health

I especially enjoy working with women navigating motherhood, pregnancy and postpartum experiences, relationship challenges, identity shifts, and major life transitions. Life can feel like a relentless wave, leaving little space to care for yourself. Therapy is a place to exhale, sort through the overwhelm, and reconnect with who you are beneath all your roles. From the mental load of parenting to the emotional weight of relationships and responsibilities, it can be easy to lose sight of yourself. But tending to your own well-being is not selfish; it is foundational.

Grief Counseling

Another area of focus in my practice is supporting individuals navigating grief and loss in its many forms. Grief can touch every part of our lives and often looks different than we expect. Whether you are mourning the loss of a loved one, experiencing pregnancy loss, adjusting to a major life transition, or carrying another form of loss, I provide a compassionate space to process your experience and emotions.

It is important to understand that grief does not follow a straight line. There is no right way to grieve, and people often move through emotions such as denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance in their own time and in their own way. My role is to walk alongside you as healing unfolds, offering support without judgment, expectations, or pressure.

Relationship Issues & Premarital Counseling

I also enjoy working with couples who are seeking to strengthen their relationship, navigate conflict, or prepare for marriage. Our goal will be to better understand the unique dynamics, stressors, and patterns within the relationship. Together, we will gain a clear picture of current relationship cycles and identify each partner's goals. Often, what we see on the surface is only the first layer of deeper patterns that may be keeping couples feeling disconnected or stuck.

I incorporate the PREPARE/ENRICH assessment to help couples better understand their relationship strengths and areas for growth while building healthier communication, resolving conflict, and deepening connection. This approach also has a specific curriculum for premarital counseling as couples prepare to build a life together.

About Me

Before entering the mental health field, I spent six years reporting breaking news in television broadcasting. Over time, I felt called toward a more personal and meaningful way of connecting with people and their stories. That transition ultimately led me to pursue counseling work rooted in empathy, presence, and genuine human connection. We were not meant to do life alone.

I earned my graduate degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling through a CACREP-accredited program that emphasized both evidence-based treatment and the importance of the therapeutic relationship. My training also included the opportunity to thoughtfully integrate spirituality into counseling when it aligns with a client's values and goals. I am currently practicing under clinical supervision while pursuing licensure in Georgia and Florida.

After living in Alabama, North Carolina, and Georgia, it feels good to be back in my home state. I recently moved to Tampa with my husband, our two children, and our springer spaniel, and I feel grateful to be serving the South Tampa community.

If you've made it this far, I would love the opportunity to meet you, hear your story, and support you in your counseling journey.