Rita Simmonds , LMHC

Rita Simmonds is a licensed mental health counselor in New York who helps people dealing with stress, anxiety, trauma, grief, and low self-esteem. She focuses on practical steps clients can use day to day. Rita aims to make sessions straightforward and focused on each person’s goals. Rita uses methods that help people notice patterns, change unhelpful thoughts, and build new coping skills. She also draws on EMDR and existential ideas to address painful memories and big life questions when those approaches fit the person. Her practice attends to issues often raised by women, including changes tied to pregnancy and identity. She offers a compassionate space where faith can be included if the client wants it, and that perspective is always guided by the client. Rita pays attention to attachment and abandonment concerns and helps people work through communication and relationship struggles one step at a time. Clients may also bring concerns such as sleep and eating problems, addiction, chronic illness stress, caregiver strain, or career-related distress. Rita works with emotional fallout from separation, grief, and life transitions and supports people trying to find purpose and rebuild confidence. Practical tools and simple skills are a focus in sessions. Rita helps clients practice techniques between visits and checks progress together. Her aim is to help people feel more able to manage daily life and move toward goals they name.

How Rita’s approaches translate to online therapy

Client-centered therapy emphasizes the person’s goals and pace, so sessions focus on listening, reflecting, and building plans the client finds useful. This approach helps with a broad range of concerns by centering what matters most to the individual.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) involves identifying patterns of thought and behavior and practicing concrete skills to change them. CBT techniques work well for anxiety, depression, sleep and eating issues, and many daily stressors because they create step-by-step changes.

Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) teaches emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and communication skills. It can be helpful when strong emotions, impulsivity, or relationship conflicts are getting in the way of daily life.

Finding the right approach is part of the process. The therapist will talk with the client about goals, preferences, and what has or hasn’t helped before. Together they decide which methods to try and adjust them as progress is made.

Online sessions are offered by video calls, phone, live chat, and text-based messaging to provide flexibility. Video is useful for face-to-face conversation and skill practice, phone can work when bandwidth is limited, and messaging suits brief check-ins, journaling prompts, or ongoing support between sessions. These options make it easier to fit therapy into work, caregiving, or other busy days.