Rylie Simmons, MSW
Therapy for children, teens, & young adults navigating trauma and anxiety
Helping children and teens who have lived through trauma find safety, healthy coping, and steady ground using EMDR and Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Helping teen girls and young adults navigate anxiety, school stress, and life transitions by building self-confidence, resilience, and coping tools that fit into daily life
About Rylie
Rylie Simmons is a Registered Clinical Social Worker Intern with the State of Florida. She is dedicated to supporting children, teenagers, families, and young adults navigating trauma, anxiety, depression, and the life transitions that come with growing up. Rylie's clinical specialty is rooted in years of direct frontline experience as a community trauma therapist serving children and families who have lived through sexual abuse and other significant traumas, and her practice integrates the two most evidence-based trauma modalities available, EMDR therapy and Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Her style is warm, compassionate, and strengths-based, with a particular gift for making coping skills practical and easy to integrate into daily life. Rylie meets clients where they are, builds steady therapeutic relationships, and helps young clients reconnect with their own resilience.
Credentials & Education
Registered Clinical Social Worker Intern (RCSWI), Florida | License #ISW 20755
Master of Social Work (MSW), Louisiana State University, 2024
EMDRIA-Approved EMDR Therapy Training, Parts I and II, EMDR Educators of Florida, 2026
Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) Certification through the Medical University of South Carolina's National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center
Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) Web 2.0
Practicing under qualified clinical supervision of Amanda Farris, LCSW-QS
Who Rylie Supports
Rylie works with:
Children and teens working through trauma, including experiences of abuse, neglect, family disruption, and the kind of difficult events that change how a young person sees the world
Teen girls navigating the demands of high school, including anxiety, social pressure, academic stress, friendship and family conflict, and the work of finding their own voice
Children and adolescents experiencing anxiety and depression, building practical coping skills they can use in school, at home, and with friends
Young adults navigating life transitions including moving to a new city, starting a new job, adjusting to college life, or working through identity questions that surface in early adulthood
Families seeking healthier dynamics around a struggling child or teen, with Rylie supporting caregiver involvement and parent-child communication
Children, teens, and young adults building self-confidence and resilience after periods of difficulty, illness, or major life change
Clients and their families value Rylie's warm presence, her ability to translate clinical tools into something a young person can actually use, and her steady commitment to meeting each client exactly where they are.
Rylie’s Approach to Therapy
Rylie integrates evidence-based trauma and anxiety treatments with a warm, strengths-based approach. Her sessions are designed to feel safe and engaging, focused on practical skill-building and the steady work of growth.
She focuses on:
Using Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) to help children, teens, and their caregivers process difficult experiences and rebuild a sense of safety
Using EMDR therapy to help children and young adults process trauma when traditional talk therapy alone is not enough
Supporting teen girls through high school challenges, including anxiety, self-esteem, identity work, and the social and academic pressure of adolescence
Helping young adults navigate life transitions including new schools, new cities, new jobs, and the identity recalibration that comes with each
Building coping skills that fit into the actual rhythm of a young person's life, including practical tools for managing big feelings at school, at home, and in friendships
Working with families to support caregiver involvement, parent-child communication, and the relational dynamics that shape every child
What Rylie Helps Clients With
Rylie supports St. Petersburg children, teens, and young adults experiencing:
Trauma and post-traumatic stress
Sexual abuse and other forms of abuse
Anxiety, generalized anxiety, and social anxiety
Depression and persistent low mood
School stress and academic pressure
Friendship and peer relationship difficulties
Family conflict and family transitions
Life transitions, including relocation and school change
Self-confidence, self-esteem, and identity development
Emotional regulation and big feelings
Crisis and safety planning
Rylie’s Background & Training
Rylie specializes in supporting children, teens and young adults in healing from trauma, her training and experience includes:
Her professional experience includes:
Serving as a Community Trauma Therapist and Registered Clinical Social Work Intern at Suncoast Center in St. Petersburg, providing individual and family therapy to children and families affected by sexual abuse and other trauma, in home, community, and outpatient settings
Conducting biopsychosocial assessments, treatment planning, risk assessment, and safety planning for high-risk children and adolescents ages six and up
Facilitating psycho-educational programs, therapeutic support groups, and community education on trauma
Providing court testimony on behalf of child and adolescent victims of crime
Child advocacy work at Hopeful Horizons Child Advocacy Center in South Carolina, supporting children and families through forensic interviews, comprehensive forensic medical exams, multi-disciplinary team coordination, and crisis intervention
Her advanced training and expertise include:
EMDRIA-Approved EMDR Therapy Training, Parts I and II, completed through EMDR Educators of Florida
Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) certification through the Medical University of South Carolina's National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center
Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) Web 2.0 training
ASSIST Suicide Prevention training
Crisis assessment, safety planning, and high-risk client management
Graduate clinical training through Louisiana State University's Master of Social Work program
A Message From Rylie
"You do not have to figure this out on your own. Whether you are a child who has been through something hard, a teen who feels like everything is too much right now, a young adult trying to find your footing, or a parent watching your child struggle and not knowing what to do, there is a path forward. My job is to make that path easier to walk, with practical tools, steady support, and the belief that you already have more strength than you realize."
Ready to work with Rylie?
We invite you to schedule a FREE CONSULTATION with us to begin your healing journey.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does therapy with Rylie help teenage girls navigating high school?
The years between thirteen and eighteen carry a particular weight for young women. Academic pressure, social dynamics, identity development, family expectations, and the constant presence of social media create a level of stress earlier generations did not navigate. Rylie works with teen girls in a way that takes their experience seriously, neither minimizing what is hard nor catastrophizing the developmental work of adolescence. She helps teens identify the thought patterns and emotional cycles that drive anxiety and low mood, build practical coping tools they can actually use in the middle of a school day, and develop a stronger relationship with their own sense of self. For parents, Rylie offers structured involvement that supports the teen's growth without overriding her autonomy.
What is Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and when is it the right approach?
Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or TF-CBT, is the most extensively researched and recommended treatment for children and adolescents who have experienced trauma. It combines cognitive behavioral techniques with components specifically designed for trauma recovery, including psychoeducation about how trauma affects the body and mind, gradual exposure to the difficult memory in a way that reduces its hold, and structured involvement of caregivers in the healing process. Rylie is certified in TF-CBT through the Medical University of South Carolina's National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center, which is the program that originally developed and now sets the standard for TF-CBT training. TF-CBT is particularly effective for children and teens who have experienced abuse, witnessed violence, lost a loved one, or lived through any event that has changed how they feel safe in the world.
Is EMDR safe and effective for children and teens?
Yes. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy, or EMDR, is a well-researched trauma treatment that helps the brain process difficult memories so they no longer carry the same intensity. It is recognized as an evidence-based treatment for children, adolescents, and adults by the World Health Organization, the American Psychological Association, and the Department of Veterans Affairs. Rylie completed her EMDR training through EMDR Educators of Florida, an EMDR International Association approved program. EMDR is particularly useful for young clients who have experienced trauma that is difficult to talk about directly, because the work does not require the child or teen to verbally relive the difficult experience in detail.
What should parents expect when their child or teen starts therapy with Rylie?
The first session is structured around understanding the child or teen's experience, building a trusting therapeutic relationship, and getting a clear sense of what brings them to therapy. For younger children, that often involves parent involvement throughout the session, with caregivers learning the therapy approach alongside their child. For teens, Rylie balances meeting privately with the teen to build trust and autonomy, while keeping caregivers appropriately involved through regular check-ins. Rylie believes strongly that healing happens within relationships, and that includes the family relationships around the young person in therapy. Parents leave the first session with a clearer sense of the plan, what their role is, and how to support their child through the work.
Does Rylie offer virtual therapy across Florida?
Yes. Rylie provides in-person therapy at the It Begins Within Healing Center St. Petersburg office and offers virtual sessions to clients located anywhere in the State of Florida. Virtual therapy is delivered through a secure, HIPAA-compliant video platform and is clinically effective for the majority of presenting concerns Rylie treats, particularly with teens and young adults. For very young children and for active trauma processing using EMDR, in-person sessions are typically recommended. Rylie and the family decide together what format will work best during the initial consultation.