Rita Simmonds

Rita Simmonds is a licensed mental health counselor in New York who helps people facing stress, anxiety, trauma, grief, and low self-esteem. She centers sessions on practical ways to reduce distress and build day-to-day coping skills. Rita brings a calm, direct style that aims to make therapy feel manageable for someone juggling family and work demands.

Her work often addresses social anxiety, isolation, questions about life purpose, attachment concerns, and identity. Rita uses approaches such as client-centered therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, existential therapy, and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing in her sessions. She also offers a Christian-informed perspective when clients want faith to be part of their work, and that choice is always led by the client.

Rita focuses on helping people notice patterns, name difficult feelings, and try small, concrete changes between sessions. She supports people through transitions like pregnancy and other life changes, and she pays attention to issues such as caregiver stress, chronic illness, and body image. Rita keeps session goals practical and rooted in daily life.

Clients can expect a collaborative process where goals are reviewed and adjusted over time. With five years of experience and a New York LMHC credential, she aims to help people move toward clearer decision-making and steadier emotional balance. Sessions are conducted in English and tailored to each person's needs.

If you want to explore coping strategies, process past hurts, or integrate faith into your healing, Rita provides a straightforward, paced approach to support each step.

How Rita’s Approaches Work Online

Client-centered therapy focuses on listening and responding to your priorities. The therapist follows your lead, helps you clarify goals, and adjusts the pace to what feels right. Cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, helps identify unhelpful thoughts and tries small behavior changes to reduce anxiety and depression. Dialectical behavior therapy, DBT, teaches clear skills for managing intense emotions and improving relationships.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together. Rita will talk with you about your needs and goals, and then suggest approaches to try. Choices are collaborative and can change as progress is made.

The practical benefits of online therapy include better ability to fit sessions into a busy week and reduced travel time. If you prefer to integrate faith or want focused skills practice between meetings, those preferences shape how sessions are planned. Session formats are not listed here, so please confirm current options before booking to ensure they meet your needs.