About Rita

Rita believes therapy should be a place where you can show up exactly as you are without judgment, pressure, or the expectation you have everything figured out.

As a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor, Rita works with adults, adolescents, and families navigating depression, anxiety, trauma, suicidal thoughts, domestic violence, substance use, and other difficult life experiences. She is passionate about creating a comfortable, relaxed, and safe environment where clients can feel free to be their authentic selves.

Rita is especially passionate about reducing the stigma surrounding mental health and suicide. She believes conversations about emotional pain and seeking support should be met with compassion, understanding, and hope rather than shame.

Rita’s Approach

Rita’s work is grounded in a deep respect for human resilience and self-determination. She recognizes that each person brings their own experiences, strengths, values, and goals into therapy and believes clients should have an active voice in their own healing.

Her approach is individualized and collaborative, drawing from Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Play Therapy, and trauma-informed practices to help clients better understand themselves, develop practical skills, and create meaningful change in their lives.

Rita is also an advocate for social change and human rights and is continually inspired by people’s capacity for resilience, growth, and connection.

Education

Rita earned her Master’s Degree in Mental Health Counseling from the University of Phoenix and her Bachelor’s Degree in Behavioral Science from Utah Valley University.