Roberta Bruni, LCSW, MCAP

Specializing in trauma, anxiety and substance abuse

Roberta Bruni, LCSW, MCAP, trauma and addiction therapist at It Begins Within Healing Center in St. Petersburg, Florida

  • Over 25 years of experience, specialized in supporting adults, couples and families battling with trauma, anxiety and substance abuse

  • Master's Level Certified Addiction Professional (MCAP) with EMDR and Master-level Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) training

About Roberta

Roberta has dedicated more than two decades to helping adults, couples and families heal from trauma, anxiety, depression, grief and the emotional weight of chronic medical and pain conditions. She also brings a specialized expertise in neurodivergent adults on the autism spectrum and high performing adults battling addiction and substance abuse.

Credentials & Education

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Who Roberta Supports

Roberta specializes in working with:

  • Adults living with trauma and PTSD - utilizing both EMDR and ART for more rapid healing from trauma and traumatic memories

  • Families impacted by addiction and mental illness - focusing on the family system to help the individuals within the family unit live with or recover from the affect of a loved one’s addiction or illness

  • Neurodivergent adults - Roberta is particularly skilled at adapting the therapy process to how specific individuals actually process and communicate information

  • Adults living with chronic medical conditions & chronic pain - providing support for what chronic conditions often carry with them: anxiety, depression, grief and self-esteem challenges

  • Couples navigating major life transition — Whether couples are facing a medical diagnosis, loss of a family member, or a major shift in family dynamics and roles, Roberta focuses on helping couples reimagine and redefine a new blueprint for happiness

  • Couples rebuilding after infidelity — Roberta utilizes the proven and structured model for affair recovery from Gottman in order to help couples reach their therapeutic objectives

Roberta’s Approach to Therapy

Roberta’s approach to counseling is strengths based, person centered and trauma-informed. She focuses on what you want your life to look like and works from the strengths you already have to achieve your therapeutic objectives. She focuses on:

  • Matching the modality to the person — Drawing from EMDR, ART, CBT, DBT, and the Gottman Method

  • Treating trauma and addiction together — Recognizing that for most individuals these two are intertwined

  • Building on your natural strengths — Identifying an individuals natural strengths to help reach their goals efficiently and effectively

  • Rapid symptom reduction — Using ART and EMDR to lower the charge on traumatic memories

  • Adapting to how your brain works — Adjusting the therapy process to fit the individual

What Roberta Helps Clients With

Roberta supports adults, families and couples in St. Petersburg experiencing:

  • Trauma and PTSD

  • Substance abuse and addiction recovery

  • Anxiety

  • Depression

  • Grief and loss

  • Personality disorders

  • Chronic pain and medical illness

Background & Training

Roberta earned her Masters from the State University of New York at Buffalo and has practiced for more than two decades, working across private practice, addiction treatment centers, and community mental health facilities.

Her professional experience includes:

  • More than twenty five years of clinical practice with adults, couples, and families

  • Specialized addiction treatment as a Master's Level Certified Addiction Professional

  • Trauma treatment with adults carrying PTSD, complex trauma, and grief

  • Clinical supervision of other therapists as a Florida Qualified Supervisor

Her training and expertise include:

  • EMDRIA-approved EMDR training through the University at Buffalo School of Social Work

  • Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) — certified Master Practitioner through IS-ART

  • Certification in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (C-DBT) through Evergreen Certifications

  • Gottman Method Couples Therapy, Levels 1 and 2, plus training in Treating Affairs and Trauma

  • Clinical work with neurodivergent adults on the autism spectrum

A Message From Roberta

"I have been doing this work a long time, and the thing I am most sure of is that people arrive already carrying what they need, they just cannot see it yet. My job is to help you find those strengths and then build the work around them, not around a manual. I use a variety of approaches because people are different, and I would rather adjust my method than ask you to fit into it. I aim to meet every client exactly where you are, without judgment, for as long as it takes to get you somewhere better."

Ready to work with Roberta?

We invite you to schedule a FREE CONSULTATION with us to begin your healing journey.

Frequently Asked Questions

What kinds of trauma does Roberta work with?

Roberta works with the full range of trauma adults bring into therapy from single-incident trauma to complex trauma that developed over years of childhood abuse, medical trauma from a serious diagnosis, hospitalization, or chronic pain, and the trauma that so often sits underneath a substance use problem.

How is Accelerated Resolution Therapy different from EMDR?

Both use bilateral stimulation to help the brain reprocess distressing memories, and often work faster than traditional talk therapy for healing from trauma. The main difference is structure and pace. EMDR typically unfolds over a longer course of treatment, with substantial preparation before memory processing begins. ART is more protocol driven and directive within a single session. ART also does not require you to describe the details of what happened out loud, which matters to clients who find retelling unbearable. Roberta has advanced training in both, and if applicable will recommend one based on your history and situation.

Can Roberta treat addiction and trauma at the same time?

Yes, and she prefers to. Roberta is a Master's Level Certified Addiction Professional (MCAP) as well as a trauma-trained clinician. Many people are told to get sober first and address their trauma later, or they work with a trauma therapist who is not equipped for active substance use. That split leaves people cycling — the untreated trauma drives the using, and the using makes the trauma work impossible. She can work on regulation skills and relapse prevention while also reducing the charge on the memories that make using feel necessary, adjusting the balance as your stability changes. If you are in early recovery, she can pace the trauma work accordingly rather than pushing before you are ready.

Does Roberta work with neurodivergent adults?

Yes, working with neurodivergent adults on the spectrum is a specific area of expertise for her. In practice this means adjusting how sessions run rather than expecting you to adapt to a neurotypical therapy format. She treats autistic ways of processing and communicating as differences to work with, not symptoms to correct. Roberta also works with the anxiety, depression, burnout, and trauma that frequently accompany a life spent masking, including for adults who were identified late or who identify as autistic without a formal diagnosis.

What should I expect in a first session with Roberta?

The first session is mostly about understanding your situation and deciding together where to start. Roberta will ask what brought you in now, what you have already tried, what your history looks like, such as sharing if there is any substance use, trauma, medical issues, or family context. She will also ask what is working in your life, because that is genuinely part of the assessment. You are in control of how much detail you share on day one and nothing requires you to walk through a traumatic memory in the first hour. By the end, she will share her initial thinking about approach, whether that involves EMDR, ART, DBT skills, Gottman work, or a combination, and you will agree on a starting point together.

Locations Served

Roberta provides in-person therapy in St. Petersburg and surrounding areas.