Melanie Ryerson, LMHC

Licensed Mental Health Counselor | Founder, Gulf Grove Therapy | License #MH23478

TAMPA THERAPIST SPECIALIZING IN HIGH ACHIEVERS

ABOUT MELANIE

Melanie Ryerson is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and the founder of Gulf Grove Therapy in Tampa, Florida. She is passionate about helping high-achieving adults navigate anxiety, grief, and trauma — so they can practice genuine self-compassion, step into their full potential, and stop settling for less than they deserve.

Melanie earned her Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from the University of Central Florida. Before founding Gulf Grove Therapy, she brought her deep understanding of human development and emotional wellbeing to the classroom, teaching middle school and currently serving as an instructor at the University of South Florida Honors College, where she teaches courses on emotional intelligence and leadership.

Her therapeutic style is warm, relatable, organic, and easygoing. Melanie has a gift for helping people understand the story of their life — and how that story shapes who they are today. She believes that real healing happens when we can hold our experiences with curiosity rather than judgment, and she creates a space where clients feel safe enough to do exactly that.

Melanie uses evidence-based approaches including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Narrative Therapy, and is IFS-informed, drawing on Internal Family Systems principles to guide clients in inner child work. This somatic, experiential approach helps clients connect with and process their emotions at a deeper, felt level — not just intellectually, but in the body.

WHY TAMPA

Melanie is a Tampa native at heart — she founded Gulf Grove Therapy here because this is where she has built her life, her community, and her sense of purpose. She loves the energy of Seminole Heights, the creativity of Tampa’s growing arts and coffee culture, and the way the city holds both ambition and heart in equal measure. She sees a lot of herself in her Tampa clients: driven, thoughtful, and quietly carrying more than they let on.

Melanie sees clients in person at Gulf Grove Therapy’s Tampa office and virtually throughout Florida, so wherever you are in the state, support is within reach.

CREDENTIALS & EDUCATION

Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) — Florida | License #MH23478
Master’s Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling — University of Central Florida
Instructor, USF Honors College — Emotional Intelligence & Leadership
Trained in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Trained in Narrative Therapy
IFS-Informed — Inner Child & Somatic Emotional Processing

MELANIE’S BACKGROUND & TRAINING

Melanie’s clinical and professional experience includes:

Founder of Gulf Grove Therapy — building a practice rooted in compassionate, individualized care for adults in Tampa and throughout Florida
University instructor at USF Honors College — teaching emotional intelligence and leadership to high-achieving students
Background in middle school education — developing a deep understanding of emotional development, identity, and life transitions
Specialized focus on the inner world of high achievers — helping driven individuals move beyond performance and perfectionism into authentic living

Her therapeutic approach focuses on:

Helping clients understand the narrative of their life and how it shapes their present
Using ACT to build psychological flexibility and values-driven living
Narrative Therapy to externalize and reauthor unhelpful stories
IFS-informed inner child work to access and heal deeper emotional wounds somatically
Supporting clients in developing self-compassion, emotional resilience, and a stronger sense of self

WHO MELANIE SUPPORTS

Melanie works with adults experiencing:

Anxiety — including high-functioning anxiety in high achievers who appear fine on the outside
Grief — processing loss, life transitions, and the grief of who you thought you’d be
Trauma — healing past wounds that quietly shape your present patterns and relationships
Self-worth and perfectionism — learning to stop measuring your value by your output
Life transitions — navigating major changes with clarity, intention, and self-trust

A MESSAGE FROM MELANIE

“No matter where your story has taken you, there is nothing more meaningful than having a guide along the way — someone to help you fully become yourself and stop settling.”

I started Gulf Grove Therapy because I believe everyone deserves a space to slow down, look inward, and reconnect with who they truly are. If you’re a high achiever who has been carrying a lot — quietly, competently, and alone — I want you to know that asking for support is not a sign of weakness. It is one of the most powerful things you will ever do for yourself.

MORE THAN JUST MY WORK

Outside of the therapy room, Melanie loves spending time with her dog Elsa, creating in her ceramics studio, and exploring the coffee shops of Seminole Heights. She believes that rest, creativity, and community are not luxuries — they’re essential.

SESSION DETAILS

Availability: Currently has a waitlist
Populations: Adults only
Specialties: Anxiety, Grief, Trauma
Location: In-person in Tampa; Virtual throughout Florida

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS — MELANIE RYERSON

What is high-functioning anxiety and can a Tampa therapist help?

High-functioning anxiety is when you appear successful, productive, and “fine” on the outside — but on the inside you’re driven by worry, perfectionism, and fear of falling short. It’s one of the most common and underrecognized struggles among high achievers. Melanie specializes in helping Tampa adults untangle their identity from their performance, so they can achieve from a place of purpose rather than anxiety.

What is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and is it effective for trauma and grief?

ACT is an evidence-based therapy that helps you stop fighting your thoughts and feelings and instead build a life aligned with your deepest values. Rather than trying to eliminate pain, ACT teaches psychological flexibility — the ability to be present with difficult emotions without being controlled by them. Research supports ACT for anxiety, grief, and trauma, and Melanie weaves it together with Narrative Therapy and IFS-informed inner child work for a truly holistic approach.

What is inner child work and how does it help with trauma?

Inner child work, rooted in Internal Family Systems (IFS) principles, helps you connect with the younger parts of yourself that were shaped by painful or overwhelming experiences. Rather than just talking about the past, this approach helps you feel and process emotions somatically — in the body — so that real healing can happen at a deeper level. For many high-achieving adults in Tampa, this work is the missing piece that intellectual insight alone can’t provide.

How do I find the right therapist in Tampa for grief after a major life loss?

Finding the right grief therapist means finding someone who won’t rush your process or offer hollow reassurance. Melanie creates space for the full weight of grief — whether you’ve lost a person, a relationship, a career, or the life you imagined. Her Narrative Therapy approach helps clients make meaning from loss and begin to reauthor their story on their own terms. If you’re on the waitlist, reaching out is still the right first step.

Can therapy help me if I’m successful but still feel like something is missing?

Absolutely — and you’re not alone in feeling this way. Many high achievers reach their goals and find that the satisfaction they expected isn’t there, or that they’ve been so focused on performing that they’ve lost touch with who they really are. Melanie’s work is built around helping driven adults reconnect with their values, heal the stories keeping them stuck, and start living a life that feels as meaningful on the inside as it looks on the outside.

What is Narrative Therapy and how is it different from other approaches?

Narrative Therapy is based on the idea that we make sense of our lives through the stories we tell about them — and that those stories aren’t always accurate or kind. When you’ve lived through grief, trauma, or chronic self-doubt, those experiences can become the whole story. Narrative Therapy helps you separate your identity from the problem, examine the stories that have kept you stuck, and begin writing a new chapter that actually reflects who you are and who you want to become.

Does Gulf Grove Therapy offer telehealth therapy in Florida for anxiety and trauma?

Yes. Melanie offers secure virtual therapy sessions to adults throughout Florida. Whether you’re in Tampa, Orlando, Miami, or anywhere in between, you can access trauma-informed, ACT-based therapy from the comfort of your own space. Telehealth is especially well-suited for high-achieving adults with demanding schedules who need flexibility without sacrificing quality of care.

What should I expect in my first therapy session with Melanie?

Your first session with Melanie is a relaxed, open conversation — not an intake form read aloud. She’ll want to understand your story: what’s brought you in, what’s felt hard, and what you’re hoping life could feel like on the other side of this. Many clients describe leaving their first session feeling both lighter and more seen than they expected. You don’t need to have it figured out before you come in. That’s what the work is for.

I’ve tried therapy before and it didn’t help. Why would this be different?

That’s one of the most honest and important questions you can ask. Not all therapy is the same — and not every therapist is the right fit for every person. Melanie’s approach goes beyond surface-level coping strategies into the deeper stories, patterns, and emotional experiences that traditional talk therapy sometimes misses. If you’ve done the work before and still feel stuck, IFS-informed inner child work and Narrative Therapy offer a different entry point — one that meets you at a felt, somatic level rather than just a cognitive one.

How do I join Melanie’s waitlist at Gulf Grove Therapy in Tampa?

You can reach out through the contact form on our website and let us know you’re interested in working with Melanie. We’ll add you to her waitlist and be in touch as soon as a spot opens. In the meantime, we’re happy to connect you with another Gulf Grove therapist who may be a great fit while you wait.

Professional Endorsements

What Colleagues Are Saying

Melanie is kind and compassionate. She is empathetic and has a warm presence about her. I feel that she truly listens and understands my needs. I highly recommend Melanie to anyone in search of a quality therapist.

Heather Hughes Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner, DNP, APRN, PMHNP-C, AGNP-BC Optimum Health & Wellness

As a fellow counselor, Melanie's expertise in grief & trauma counseling, as well as her passionate & compassionate care for her clients, makes her a go-to referral source! Melanie's lived experiences provide her with genuine understanding & insight that allow her to truly meet her clients where they're at with support, empathy, & relatability. If you're grieving, struggling with anxiety, or feeling challenged by unrealistic expectations and are looking for support, look no further than Gulf Grove Therapy!

Stacey Herdegen Marriage & Family Therapist, LMFT, NCC Neurogenesis Center of Florida Neurofeedback

As a fellow practice owner, I have tremendous respect for the way this office operates. From the professionalism of the staff to the attention to detail in patient care, everything is handled with the highest level of excellence. Their dedication to doing what's right for patients — not just what's easy — speaks volumes about their character and standards.

Melody Williams Practice Owner Growth & Recovery Counseling

Tampa, FL Office

5009 N Central Ave,
Tampa, FL 33603