Rachel Russell is a seasoned and highly respected clinician with over two decades of experience supporting individuals and families through complex mental health and trauma-related challenges. Before returning to private practice in 2022, she spent ten years at the helm of a premier outpatient treatment program in New York City, where she managed a stellar multidisciplinary team, oversaw program innovation during the height of the opioid epidemic, and expanded both prevention and family services. She also implemented initiatives that significantly strengthened BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ hiring and retention.

Rachel began her career serving under-resourced communities, providing therapy in diverse settings including community mental health, day treatment programs, schools, family reunification services, housing programs, and gang disengagement initiatives. These formative experiences shaped her core belief in integrating trauma healing with practical, real-world skill-building to support lasting change.

Rachel's passion for helping people is grounded in a profound respect for each human being’s inherent capacity for healing and growth. Known for her warmth, clarity, collaborative style, and a gift for talking about difficult truths, she builds strong therapeutic alliances with clients navigating complex challenges. Her areas of expertise include mood disorders, substance use, PTSD, developmental trauma, and relational difficulties, with a growing interest in dissociative disorders. She has completed post-graduate training in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (Linehan Institute), EMDR, Polyvagal Theory, Attachment-Based Family Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, and Psychodrama. Her clinical lens is also informed by extensive work in cross-cultural competency and trauma treatment within systems of oppression.

In addition to her clinical practice, Rachel provides strategic advisory services to Nest and other behavioral health organizations. She designs and facilitates workshops on trauma-informed care, mental health first aid, healthy boundaries, and de-escalation, and has presented at conferences both nationally and internationally.

Outside the therapy room, Rachel enjoys time with her family, biking and hiking, Peloton classes, travel, crafting, and reading.