- CBT techniques
- DBT skills
- EMDR options
About Rita
Rita Simmonds is a licensed mental health counselor, New York LMHC, with five years of clinical experience. She works with people facing stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, grief, self-esteem struggles, depression, addictions, and anger among other concerns. Sessions are conversational and practical. She also offers a Christian-informed perspective when clients want to include faith in their work.
Rita uses clear, down-to-earth language in sessions. She focuses on helping people notice patterns that keep them stuck and try small, doable changes. Treatment draws on client-centered listening alongside tools from cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy to manage strong feelings and impulses.
For trauma-related concerns she can incorporate eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, when clinically appropriate and agreed with the client. Existential therapy ideas are used to discuss meaning, values, and life transitions. The overall aim is to build emotional regulation and better day-to-day coping.
Her practice pays attention to attachment issues, abandonment, and communication problems that often feed anger and relationship strain. She also helps people facing caregiving stress, chronic illness, body image issues, and the particular pressures men and women encounter around identity and life stages.
Clients can expect focused conversations, practical coping strategies, and collaborative planning for next steps. Rita encourages clients to set achievable goals and to track progress between sessions. She works in English and does not take international clients at this time.
Therapeutic approaches used in online sessions
Rita often draws on cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy in her work. CBT focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing them with practical experiments, which can reduce reactivity and repeated patterns of anger. DBT teaches concrete skills for emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and improving interpersonal effectiveness, useful when strong feelings lead to impulsive acts or relationship conflict.She also uses client-centered methods that center the client's experience and priorities in each session. That means sessions begin with listening to what matters most to the client, then choosing skills or approaches together. Finding the right mix is collaborative - Rita will review options and adjust methods based on a person’s goals and how they respond to different techniques.
Confirm the current session formats before booking, as the biography does not list specific options. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy life - for example by allowing shorter check-ins, avoiding travel time, or reducing the need to be on camera. Licensed professionals can still practice CBT, DBT, and EMDR-informed work effectively online when the client and clinician agree it fits the situation.
Areas of expertise
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
5+ years
Listed in
New York
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of anger concerns does she address?
Rita helps with temper issues, built-up resentment, impulse control, and reactions that affect close relationships and work.
What is her general therapeutic style?
She uses a conversational, client-centered style combined with practical tools from CBT and DBT to manage strong emotions and behaviors.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She has five years of experience as a practicing clinician in New York.
What credential does she hold and where does she practice?
She is a New York LMHC and practices in New York.
Which languages are supported for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English.
Does she work with international clients?
She does not accept international clients at this time.
How are session costs handled?
Cost varies with location; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.