Megan Richardson LMFT, NCC

I’m married with three children, and see marriage as the space where some of the toughest and most beautiful self-growth can occur. Marriage can hold up a mirror that often feels difficult to face. My interest in healthy relationships has lead to my career in couples counseling where I hope to support couples in working through life transitions, and establishing new habits to maintain a thriving relationship. I have specialized training in maternal mental health as well as perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. I love working with growing families who are finding themselves adjusting to the changes in their relationship with the arrival of a little one.

I also have extensive experience working with survivors of trauma including domestic violence, sexual abuse and human trafficking. I am trained in taking a trauma informed approach to addressing your story, and use a strengths-based model to support you in experiencing empowerment. Many people report a desire to ignore their past but find at times it starts to creep up and can no longer be ignored, as it may be impacting your relationships with others or your functioning in important areas of your life.

I am happy to support you in addressing where you may have been deeply hurt. You will be able to move at you own pace in therapy and will set the tone for what you need your sessions to be.

Our Deepest Fear

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light not our darkness that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous,
talented and fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small does not serve the world.
There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other
people won’t feel insecure around you.

We were born to make manifest the glory of
God that is within us.

It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine,
we unconsciously give other people
permission to do the same.

As we are liberated from our own fear,
Our presence automatically liberates others.”
— Marianne Williamson

My Philosophy

My passion is healthy relationships.

Being in a satisfying relationship can have an impact on all areas of life and my career has been focused on supporting others in determining what a healthy relationship could look like for them.

Clients often feel if they just ignore those quiet cues long enough, they might go away only to find them getting louder and louder. I have also heard clients say they waited to seek counseling because it made them feel weak or they did not want anyone to take pity on them. The opposite is true. Facing the issues you’ve been trying to avoid your whole life displays incredible strength and resiliency.

It is my privilege to be let into your inner world to support you in resolving what may not be working for you.

Click here to learn even more about the approach Megan Richardson, LMFT, NCC offers in therapy.

I’m a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist in Florida and North Carolina

Megan is amazing, she really takes the time to listen to my concerns and validates my feelings. She offers me advice on how to cope with my anxiety, better my relationship…

Client Testimonial

Megan is an extraordinary therapist. She offers support and asks thought provoking questions that really help me think. She makes me feel comfortable in sharing. I would recommend Megan to anyone. She’s an incredible therapist.

Client Testimonial

My husband and I recently took a “Bring Baby Home Workshop” with Megan at Thrive Therapy. We are expecting our first child in the next few weeks and wanted to learn some tools on how to deal with the stress that comes with having a new baby and the impact on our relationship. Well, we got the tools and feel a lot more confident with Megan’s program from the Gottman Institute. She was super informative and passionate about the subject. We recommend this workshop to anyone who is expecting a baby, whether it is your first or not. It will definitely help improve your communication with your partner and get you closer to each other -something that you will need more than ever with a new little human in the house. Thank you, Megan!

Client Testimonial

Ms. Megan is incredible! She has helped me in a myriad of ways, and has helped me find resources to better learn about topics I struggle with. She has been a listening ear and has always responded with kindness and lovingness when I am emotional. She has a lot of wisdom to offer and such insightful questions to help dig deeper into topics. And she always, always moves at my pace! I cannot recommend her enough!

Client Testimonial

Megan has been so wonderful and understanding.

Client Testimonial

Megan is fantastic! …This has been a very positive experience!!

Client Testimonial

Ms. Megan is incredible!! She has been so helpful during such a hectic year and has been so calm, patient, and kind. She never judges me and is extremely understanding. She always has incredible wisdom that helps me see things in new ways and she has given me a lot of tools to better help myself. I can not recommend her enough!

Client Testimonial

Credentials

seven principles leader in tampa florida

Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work Leader

Bringing Baby Home Tampa FL

Bringing Baby Home (BBH) Educator

premarital counseling Hillsborough county florida

Prepare/Enrich Pre-Marital Counseling Course Facilitator

Thrive Therapy is an approved Pre-Marital Course provider in Hillsborough County. By taking a Pre-Marital Course, the 3 day waiting period to apply for a license is waived, and you can apply for a license at a reduced price – not to mention the benefit of the investment in your relationship in the long term.

National Board Certified Counselor (NBCC, NCC)

Qualified Supervisor for Marriage and Family Interns

Specialized Training in Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders

Pregnancy and postpartum seasons of life require specialized support, resources, and interventions that Thrive Therapy is able to offer.

Level 3 Gottman Therapist Gottman Approved Member

I have received extensive and specialized training in the Gottman Method for couples counseling and draw from this approach when working with couples for premarital counseling, the perinatal period, seasons of relationship dissatisfaction and/or divorce care.

Previous Experience

2011 – Present

Licensed Family Therapist

Since my return to the US, I served as a therapist and advocate in a domestic violence shelter and non-profit agency providing individual and group counseling to survivors of trauma and trainings to the community. I have also worked in a college counseling center where I provided supervision, training, individual therapy, couples counseling and group treatment to students. Most recently, my position allowed me to play a supportive role to children in foster care, as well as their caregivers and providers.

2009 – 2010

Working with Human Trafficking Survivors in the Philippines

After earning my Masters from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, I moved to the Philippines where I worked for a non-governmental organization that rescues and restores survivors of human trafficking. I was sent all over the county to provide clinical trainings to support those providing aftercare services to survivors.

2009

Masters in Couples and Family Counseling, University of North Carolina (Greensboro)

I obtained my Master’s and Educational Specialist Degree in Couples and Family Counseling from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 2009.

2003 – 2007

University of Florida, BS in Psychology

I knew this was the field for me because I was fascinated to better understand more about what makes lasting and healthy relationships and actually looked forward to cuddling up in a chair at Starbucks to read my textbooks.