In session & in network
Psychology House is now an Aetna mental health provider in Tampa.
Your Aetna mental health provider
Psychology House and our ever-growing team of therapists are now a part of the Aetna mental health providers network. Located in Tampa, FL - Psychology House is home to highly trained psychologists with specializations in everything from trauma and addiction, to anxiety, stress, burnout, and more. From the beginning, we set out to create a space where adults, children, and adolescence can address their mental health needs in an environment that feels familiar and safe. A place that “feels like home.”
Make yourself at home
Heal in the comfort and privacy of our curated rooms; equipped with tea and water, blankets, and all the comforts of home.
In-person and remote options
Our office is conveniently located in South Tampa; just minutes from Palma Ceia, Hyde Park, Davis Island, and Westshore.
Can’t make it into the office? No worries – we’ve got you covered with teletherapy.
Specialized mental healthcare
Receive care from highly trained clinicians specializing in today’s most prominent mental health issues & evidence-based treatments for adults, children, & adolescents.
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We all experience anxiety at times, but when it becomes a constant companion—racing thoughts, physical tension, feeling overwhelmed, avoiding situations—it might be more than just stress.
The good news? Anxiety is incredibly treatable. Therapy gives you practical tools to understand what's driving your anxiety and manage it effectively. You can build confidence so anxiety doesn't call the shots. The goal isn't to never feel anxious, but to be able to handle it when it shows up.
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Trauma isn't just about what happened—it's about how those experiences continue to affect you. Whether from a single event or ongoing experiences, trauma can show up as flashbacks, hypervigilance, emotional numbness, or feeling disconnected from yourself and others. It's your mind and body's way of protecting you, even when the danger has passed.
Trauma is also healable. Therapy provides a safe space to process what happened at your own pace, without judgment. You can learn to work through painful memories and rebuild a sense of safety and control. The goal isn't to forget or "get over it"—it's to integrate your experiences so they don't have power over your present.
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Depression is more than just feeling sad—it's a persistent heaviness that affects how you think, feel, and move through your day. You might notice low energy, loss of interest in things you used to enjoy, trouble sleeping or sleeping too much, or feeling numb or hopeless. It can make even small tasks feel impossibly hard.
Depression is treatable. Therapy helps you understand the patterns keeping you stuck and develop strategies to shift them. You can work on challenging negative thought cycles, reconnecting with what matters, and building momentum. The goal isn't just feeling better temporarily—it's creating lasting change so you can engage with life again.
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Relationships can be complicated—whether it's constant conflict, communication breakdowns, trust issues, or feeling disconnected from someone you care about. You might find yourselves stuck in the same arguments, struggling to feel heard, or wondering if things can improve. These patterns can leave you feeling frustrated, lonely, or uncertain about the future.
Relationship issues are workable. Therapy provides a space to understand unhealthy patterns, improve communication, and rebuild connection—whether you're working on it individually or as a couple. Through approaches like the Gottman method, you'll learn to navigate conflict constructively, express needs clearly, and strengthen your bond. The goal is creating healthier dynamics where both people feel valued and understood.
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Addiction is when substances or behaviors take control, even when you know they're causing harm. It might start as a way to cope with stress, pain, or difficult emotions, but over time it becomes a pattern that's hard to break. You might feel trapped in cycles of use, shame, and promises to stop—only to find yourself back where you started.
Recovery is possible. Therapy helps you understand what's driving the addiction and build healthier coping strategies to replace it. You’ll identify triggers, manage cravings, and address underlying issues like trauma or depression. The goal isn't just stopping the behavior—it's building a life where you don't need it anymore.
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Grief doesn't follow a timeline, and it doesn't only show up after a death. Losing a relationship, a job, a version of your life you expected—it all counts. And it can hit harder, and last longer, than the people around you seem to understand.
Grief counseling isn't about moving on or getting over it. It's about learning to carry the loss in a way that doesn't stop you from living. You don't have to rush it, explain it, or grieve the "right" way. You just need a space where it's okay to feel exactly what you feel.
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The path to motherhood can be one of the most emotional journeys of a woman's life — and not always in the ways we expect. Infertility, miscarriage, a difficult pregnancy, the aftermath of birth, the overwhelm of early parenting — these experiences can leave you feeling isolated, lost, or not like yourself.
Maternal mental health therapy is a space designed specifically for what you're carrying. Whether you're grieving a loss, navigating IVF, struggling with postpartum depression, or just finding motherhood harder than you thought it would be — you don't have to figure it out alone. There's no 'should' here. Just support that meets you where you are.
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Stress is your body's response to demands and pressure, but when it becomes chronic and overwhelming, it can lead to burnout—complete physical and emotional exhaustion. You might feel constantly drained, cynical about work or life, unable to focus, or like you're running on empty no matter how much rest you get. What once felt manageable now feels impossible.
You don't have to stay stuck in survival mode. Therapy helps you identify what's depleting you and develop strategies to restore balance. You’ll learn to recognize your limits, prioritize what matters, and build sustainable habits. The goal isn't just surviving—it's reclaiming your energy and finding a way to thrive again.
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ADHD isn't just about being distracted or hyperactive—it's a neurodevelopmental condition that affects focus, impulse control, and executive functioning. You might struggle with staying organized, managing time, completing tasks, or regulating emotions. It can feel like your brain is constantly racing or like you're working twice as hard as everyone else just to keep up.
ADHD is manageable. Therapy helps you understand how your brain works and develop personalized strategies that actually fit your life. You'll work on organization systems, time management, emotional regulation, and building routines that stick. The goal isn't to "fix" you—it's to give you tools that work with your brain, not against it.
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Everyone feels angry sometimes, but when anger becomes your default response—quick to ignite, hard to control, or leading to outbursts you regret—it might be a deeper issue. You might notice yourself snapping at loved ones, feeling constantly irritable, or dealing with anger that feels disproportionate to the situation. It can damage relationships and leave you feeling out of control.
Anger is manageable. Therapy helps you understand what's fueling your anger—whether it's unresolved pain, stress, or learned patterns—and develop healthier ways to express it. You'll learn to recognize triggers, pause before reacting, and communicate your needs without exploding. The goal isn't to suppress anger—it's to channel it constructively so it doesn't control you.
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Bipolar disorder involves intense mood swings that cycle between emotional highs (mania or hypomania) and lows (depression). During manic phases, you might feel energized, impulsive, or invincible—making decisions you later regret. During depressive phases, you might feel hopeless, exhausted, or unable to function. These shifts can disrupt relationships, work, and daily life.
Bipolar disorder is treatable. While medication is often part of management, therapy plays a crucial role in stability. Through approaches like CBT, psychoeducation, and mood monitoring techniques, you'll learn to recognize early warning signs, manage triggers, develop coping strategies, and build routines that support balance. The goal is helping you understand your patterns and maintain stability so you can live a full, meaningful life.
In-network insurance
A number of our clinicians accept insurance. In Tampa, many of our clinicians work with Aetna, United Healthcare (UHC), GEHA, Oxford, & Oscar. However, participation varies by clinician. Our Care Team can help you confirm if your insurance is accepted. Additionally, we offer simple & secure self-pay & will provide Superbills upon request.
Treatment approaches
Know you are on the right track with treatments proven by research and tested by time.
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Treatment Applications - Depression | Anxiety | Addiction | Trauma | Relationship Issues | And more
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is one of the most commonly used psychological treatments today. Supported by countless research studies, CBT has been found to have significant improvements in patient’s functioning and quality of life. To briefly put it, CBT focuses on identifying and changing unhelpful thoughts and thinking patterns, as well as unhealthy and problematic behaviors. CBT emphasizes the interconnectedness between our thoughts and behaviors, and uses strategies to help gain awareness and understanding of how our thoughts affect what we do (and vice versa). Through efforts of changing unhelpful thoughts and behavioral patterns, we also change how we feel, which helps us to cope with our issues and life’s stressors.
Click here to learn more about CBT.
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Treatment Applications - PTSD | Trauma- and Stressor-Related Disorders
Trauma-focused Therapies: Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) and Prolonged Exposure (PE) are first line, evidence-based psychotherapies for the treatment of PTSD and trauma-related issues. Although these treatments use different approaches, they both address the memories of the traumatic event and the associated distressing thoughts and feelings. CPT takes more of a cognitive approach in that it focuses on the distorted beliefs and thoughts that are a result of a traumatic experience, and encourages a healthier way to think about trauma. PE focuses more on exposure methods to gradually confront memories, thoughts, feelings, or situations related to the trauma that have been avoided. After thorough assessment of symptoms, your therapist will help you to decide which treatment approach would be more appropriate.
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Treatment Applications - OCD | Panic Disorder | Social Anxiety | Agoraphobia | Specific Phobia
Exposure and response prevention (ERP) is the gold standard treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and highly effective for phobias, panic disorder, and social anxiety. ERP emphasizes (1) exposure and (2) response prevention as methods of treating intrusive/unwanted thoughts and compulsive behaviors. The exposure component practices facing one’s fears (e.g., thoughts, images, memories, situations), while the response prevention component practices not engaging in compulsive/ritualistic behaviors. It is through confronting fears and resisting compulsions that you learn to tolerate the distress of your fears without having to resort to behaviors that only perpetuate the obsessive-compulsive cycle. ERP emphasizes a strong collaboration between client and therapist, and takes a gradual approach to treatment.
Click here to learn more about ERP.
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Treatment Applications - Depression | Anxiety | Trauma | Chronic Pain | Addiction | OCD | Psychosis | Stress/Burnout
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is one of the most widely used therapy approaches. Using a variety of techniques, you learn the importance of approaching and accepting your unwanted emotions, rather than avoiding or suppressing them. Acceptance of one’s emotions is learning how to accept one’s self – that our emotional experiences are understandable, important, and make sense. Once acceptance of emotions is achieved, ACT focuses on ways to commit to positive change and living a life aligned by one’s values. ACT postulates that our emotional experiences do not necessarily need to be “fixed,” rather they need attention and permission to be experienced fully, which allows us to experience life more fully. In addition to acceptance and committed action, ACT practices cognitive defusion (observing rather than reacting to a distressing thought), being in the present (mindfulness skills), self as context (realizing we are greater than our thoughts and emotions), and valued living (embracing activities that give meaning and satisfaction).
Click here to learn more about ACT.
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Treatment Applications - Personality Disorders (including borderline personality disorder) | Self-harm | PTSD | Eating Disorders | Mood Disorders | Anxiety | Addiction
Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is a structured therapy that focuses on how to manage intense emotions and relationship challenges. It is often used for those with strong impulses and self-destructive behaviors to help change unhelpful thinking and behavioral patterns. It encourages the practice of skills that are organized by four areas – emotion regulation (managing intense emotions), distress tolerance (tolerating unpleasant emotions instead of escaping from them), mindfulness (non-judgmental awareness of emotions), and interpersonal effectiveness (healthy social and communication skills). DBT skills are often used in conjunction with other therapies.
Click here to learn more about DBT.
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Treatment Applications - Couples Therapy | Relationship Issues
The Gottman Method for couples therapy is an evidence-based approach designed to help partners strengthen their relationship by improving communication, deepening emotional connection, and reducing conflict. Built on decades of research observing real couples, this method focuses on understanding patterns that either support or strain the relationship, and teaching practical tools to build trust, friendship, and intimacy. In therapy, couples learn how to navigate disagreements without escalating, express needs in a clear and caring way, and rebuild shared meaning and teamwork. The Gottman Method also emphasizes the importance of turning toward each other—choosing connection in everyday moments—to create a solid foundation of support and respect. The goal isn’t to eliminate all conflict, but to help couples manage it in healthier, more productive ways so the relationship can feel safer, stronger, and more resilient over time.
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Treatment Applications - Trauma/PTSD | Anxiety | Depression | Panic attacks | Phobias | Grief | Performance Related Issues
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an evidence-based therapy that helps people heal from traumatic experiences by using bilateral stimulation—such as guided eye movements, tapping, or sounds—to support the brain’s natural ability to process difficult memories. EMDR doesn’t require someone to talk in detail about their trauma; instead, it focuses on reducing the emotional intensity of painful memories so they no longer feel as overwhelming or “stuck.” Through a structured eight-phase model, EMDR helps clients identify distressing memories, understand the beliefs tied to them, and replace those beliefs with healthier, more balanced perspectives. As the brain reprocesses the trauma, people often notice a decrease in anxiety, flashbacks, and emotional reactivity, along with a greater sense of calm and control. The goal of EMDR isn’t to make someone forget what happened, but to help the memory lose its emotional charge so they can move forward with more confidence, safety, and resilience.
Click here to learn more about EMDR.
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Treatment Applications - Trauma-related Issues | Stress/Burnout | Depression | Anxiety | Personality Disorders | Relationship Issues
Emotion-focused therapy (EFT) is a therapeutic approach that emphasizes the role emotions play in our overall well-being. Our emotions construct the way we interpret our reality, motivate our behaviors, and directly affect our self-esteem. EFT focuses on several core components: (1) increasing emotional awareness, (2) healthy ways to express emotions, (3) how to regulate intense or unpleasant emotions, (4) understanding the purpose and function of emotions, and (5) increasing compassion for emotional reactions. EFT helps us learn how to be emotionally attuned to our needs, and therefore strengthening our relationship with ourselves and sense of worth. Emotional change is key to sustainable change. Many therapies overemphasize ways to think differently and enact healthier behaviors, while EFT acknowledges the foundational role of emotional change in these processes. Emotional avoidance/suppression exacerbates and perpetuates stress, depression, trauma, and anxiety. EFT helps to increase emotional awareness and regulation, which helps us learn how to tolerate emotions we tend to avoid. The idea is we must feel through our emotions to heal.
Click here to learn more about EFT
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Treatment Applications - Low Self-esteem | Self-criticism | Body Image Issues | Mood Disorders | Anxiety | Trauma | Anger Issues
Compassion-focused therapy (CFT) is a therapeutic approach used for those with low self-esteem, a strong inner critic, and issues with shame. Most of us struggle with being highly critical and judgmental of ourselves, which only increases stress and mental health issues. We tend to ignore, reject, or suppress our physical and mental discomforts, which reinforces the message that our inner world is broken or wrong. CFT encourages ways to be accepting of and compassionate towards the parts of us that we tend to ignore by using compassionate visual imagery, positive self-talk, and mindfulness of our thoughts, emotions, and body sensations. When we start to turn towards our unwanted experiences, we learn to develop a healthier relationship with ourselves, which significantly impacts our self-esteem and even how we view others. Mind and body awareness is imperative to nurturing, rather than criticizing, ourselves.
Click here to learn more about CFT.
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Treatment Applications - Low Self-esteem | Depression | Anxiety | Trauma-related Issues | Stress/Burnout | Relationship Issues | Grief
Supportive therapy is an approach that highlights the importance of empathy and compassion on behalf of the therapist, and aims to create a safe and non-judgmental space for those to freely express their unfiltered thoughts and feelings. Many of us lack a strong social support system and do not have many friends or family to turn to during times of need, or lack people in their lives to help us in the ways we need. Supportive therapy offers comfort to those who need it through the healing power of the therapeutic relationship and genuine conversation. A supportive therapist actively listens and empathizes with one’s emotional pain and distress, and offers practical tools and knowledge to help cope. Supportive therapists also tend to incorporate other therapeutic modalities (e.g., cognitive and behavioral skills, self-compassionate visual imagery, mindfulness skills, etc.) as they see fit to help the healing process. Above all else, supportive therapy provides emotional support for those going through difficult times and who would benefit from insight, guidance, and validation.
Click here to learn more about supportive therapy.
The Hearts Behind the Work
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Sarah Carpenter, Ph.D.
Founder & Licensed Psychologist Specializing In Trauma, Addiction, & Relationship Issues
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Olivia Hoffman, LCSW
Child & Adolescent Therapist Specializing In Trauma, Anxiety, Depression, & Behavior Issues
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Irene Thompson, LMHC
Couples & Family Therapist Specializing In Relationship Challenges, Trauma, & Addiction
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Rachel Brunelle, RMHCI
Registered Mental Health Counselor Intern Specializing in Maternity, Grief, & Relationships
Clients we work with
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![Psychological services for adults. From young adults (18+) through older adults (65+)]()
Adults
From young adults (18+) to older adults (65+)
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![psychology services for professionals, attorneys, doctors, lawyers, educators]()
Professionals
Attorneys, doctors, executives, educators, & more
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![Tampa psychology services for couples. Marriage counseling]()
Couples
At any stage of their relationship (married/unmarried)
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![Image of a happy child reading a book. A depiction of a Tampa child therapy client]()
Children
Children starting at age 10
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![An image of three teenage girls. A depiction of teen/adolescent therapy clients.]()
Teenagers
Teenagers between the ages of 13 through 19
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![Image of a college student. Depiction of a young adult therapy client]()
College Students
Young adults navigating college and early careers
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![Tampa family therapy psychology services]()
Families
Relationship struggles within families
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![Tampa psychologist serving veterans & active duty military members]()
Veterans
Veterans and active duty military members
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![Tampa therapy services for LGBTQ+, Diverse genders, sexualities, identities, & more]()
LGBTQ+
Diverse genders, sexualities, identities, & more
Choose your path to care
Pick the option that works best for you
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Contact us now
Call, text, or email—our CareTeam is available Monday through Friday from 9a - 5p
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Schedule a call
Book a New Client Inquiry & Setup Call with our CareTeam at a time that’s best for you
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Submit an intake form
Request a free consultation or first session & match with a clinician on our team
FAQs about Psychology House
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We are located in South Tampa at:
3414 W Bay to Bay Blvd Suite 100 Tampa, FL 33629
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We work with adults, children, and teens.
Our child therapists work with children and adolescents as young as 5 and as old as college aged adults navigating academia and early careers.
Our adult-focused clinicians work with adults, professionals, couples, families, veterans, and LGBTQ+ clientele.
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During your initial intake call, we'll identify the right clinician for you and schedule your first session. Often times, this first session is used as an opportunity to get to know one another and provide more context around the struggles you are facing. There may be a few administrative tasks to take care of and your clinician will likely set expectations for what you can expect treatment to look like going forward. Click here to learn more about how to prepare for your first therapy session.
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Fit is important, and there is no shame in choosing to work with a different member of our team after a few visits. If for some reason you don’t feel a good fit within our team, we’ll connect you with other highly rated practices in the area; just so you’re not starting back at square one.
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We currently work with Aetna, United Healthcare (UHC), GEHA, Oxford, and Oscar. Additionally, we have simple & secure self-pay and out-of-network options.
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Many insurance plans offer out-of-network benefits, allowing you to work with the provider of your choice while still covering a percentage of your costs. If we do not work with your insurance, you may be able to receive out-of-network coverage with your current insurance plan. To learn more about our out-of-network option, click here. You can also self-pay with our simple & secure online billing.
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Yes! We offer secure, HIPAA compliant video Telehealth sessions.
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Many of our clinicians are PsyPact certified, allowing them to practice across multiple states. If you live out of state, plan to move soon, or travel a lot, you may still be able to work with a clinician of your choice. To learn more about our PsyPact team members, click here.
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We are located on the first floor of our building, however, our doorway is raised 4 inches off the ground, which could make it difficult for some mobility devices. Additionally, our parking lot does not have a dedicated handicap space, but does have two curb-side parking spaces that provide adequate space on one side.