"I will create a safe environment where you feel understood, valued and not judged."
By using family therapy I can go further in treating and addressing problems. I believe that the individual can be better understood through the context of their relationships, I will use the theory of family therapy to explore family structures and lessons that were taught that could be contributing to current problems. I work collaboratively with clients so that during the treatment process they feel empowered by the changes we have created together.
I have experience in treating children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Oppositional Defiant Disorder. I have helped couples with communicating relationship problems by exploring their childhood experiences and unconscious choices when choosing a partner. I have worked with individuals experiencing strong symptoms (from depression, mania and anxiety) to working with individuals experiencing stress from changes in life (new jobs, starting college, etc.) If you decide to meet with me I will create a safe environment where you will feel understood, valued and not judged.
Testimonials
“Before we found Rita’s practice, we had tried two couple’s counselors with poor results (the premarital counselor basically told us we were fine and started dozing off in our sessions, the second counselor had lots of superficial talk but did little to help us understand each other). Then we each tried individual counseling with our own counselors, thinking that by working on our individual selves we might be better together—but that was not enough.
Rita was different. From the beginning, she explained that her goal would be to see us over the course of 2-3 months maximum to give us the tools we needed to break-free from the finger-pointing rut we were in. She didn’t want “regular” permanent clients. We didn’t want to be permanent clients, we wanted help building a strong foundation for our marriage that we could maintain and sustain for the rest of our lives.
Rita gave us exercises with a clear structure for these hard conversations. These tools were very effective, but easier said than done. That’s why it was so valuable that she guided us through the exercises in her office before having us try it at home. By using her framework we were able to confront sensitive topics and problems without resorting to the blame game. She also helped us understand the fundamentals of how our childhoods shape our personalities and help inform our idiosyncrasies, what makes us tick and those character traits that can lead to conflict. Understanding each other’s needs through that with those fundamentals in mind gave us the empathy we needed to view the problem —and not our partner --as the problem.
We heartily recommend Rita’s services to any couple seeking to heal the wounds in their relationship.” -G & M
“Rita has been an incredible resource in guiding our relationship to a more loving, understanding, and respectful place. She gave us many tools to help us interpret and appreciate our differences. This awareness has taught us how to communicate effectively and with empathy. She is unbiased, nonjudgmental, and approachable in her dealings with us as a couple and individually. So grateful we had her counseling when we needed it most.” - J & C