About Dr. Rachel Melvald
Print Bio
Dr. Rachel Melvald is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and the founder of Psychitecture™, where she developed NEURODESIGN, a science-backed approach that applies neuroscience, environmental psychology, and trauma-informed principles to homes, workplaces, and community spaces. With a background in psychotherapy and couples work, she helps people design environments that regulate the nervous system, reduce stress, and strengthen connection. She is the author of “NEURODESIGN: The Art and Science of Harmonious Living” (Waterside Productions, June 24, 2025) and a speaker on designing for mental health, post-pandemic living, and aging-in-place design that supports dignity and joy (not just safety checklists). Learn more at psychitecture.com.
Broadcast Bio
Dr. Rachel Melvald is a licensed psychotherapist (LCSW) and the founder of Psychitecture™, a practice at the intersection of trauma recovery, neuroscience, environmental psychology, and design. Through her signature framework, NEURODESIGN, she shows how the spaces we live in can either fuel anxiety and conflict or become powerful supports for emotional regulation, connection, and well-being. She trains and consults with homeowners, architects, and developers, bringing clinical insight into the built environment to create homes and communities designed for human nervous systems first.
Dr. Melvald is also the author of “NEURODESIGN: The Art and Science of Harmonious Living,” (June 24, 2025.) She speaks on post-pandemic living, designing for mental health, trauma-informed environments beyond clinical settings, and aging-in-place design that supports dignity and joy (not just safety checklists). Learn more at psychitecture.com.
Suggested question for hosts: What’s one change people can make at home this week that helps the nervous system feel safer and relationships feel easier?
In-Depth Bio
Dr. Rachel Melvald is a licensed psychotherapist (LCSW) and the founder of Psychitecture™, where she developed NEURODESIGN, a science-backed approach to designing homes, workplaces, and community spaces that support emotional regulation, connection, and well-being. Her work lives at the intersection of neuroscience, environmental psychology, trauma-informed care, and design, translating complex clinical and research concepts into practical choices people can make in the spaces they inhabit every day.
Dr. Melvald’s perspective was shaped by decades of clinical practice and advanced training. She has worked extensively in mental health systems and private practice, providing therapy for individuals, couples, and families using trauma-focused, body-based, and relational approaches, including training in Gottman Method Couples Therapy and ongoing Somatic Experiencing work. Across roles ranging from emergency psychiatric assessment to infant mental health consultation and systems-of-care coordination, she repeatedly observed a missing piece in traditional mental health conversations: the built environment.
Today, Dr. Melvald’s work addresses a cultural convergence of crises (rising anxiety and burnout, loneliness, fractured relationships, and housing stress) by asking a question many people feel but can’t quite name: Why do our spaces feel so stressful, and what would it look like if our environments actively supported the human nervous system? Through NEURODESIGN, she applies neuroscience and environmental psychology to create spaces that reduce stress, deepen connection, and support harmonious living. This is especially important in a post-pandemic world where our homes often double as workplaces, classrooms, and healing spaces.
Dr. Melvald consults with homeowners, architects, and developers, and her work extends beyond aesthetics into ethics: Design is never neutral. Whether she’s advising on real estate staging through buyer psychology, helping families create co-regulating home environments, or speaking about aging-in-place design that preserves dignity and identity, her focus is consistent: Build from the inside out (nervous systems first, architecture second).
Dr. Melvald is the author of “NEURODESIGN: The Art and Science of Harmonious Living” (Waterside Productions, June 24, 2025) and a sought-after speaker on designing for mental health, trauma-informed environments beyond clinical settings, post-pandemic living, and lifespan-based housing design. She holds a Doctorate in Social Work from Tulane University; a Master’s in Social Work, Interpersonal Practice, and Mental Health from the University of Michigan; and a Bachelor’s in Psychology from the University of Michigan. Learn more at psychitecture.com.