Works with
- Anger
- Stress, Anxiety
- Addictions
- Parenting issues
- Depression
- ADHD
How Rita works
Practical facts
- Credentials
- LPC
- Licensed in
- Oregon
- Years in practice
- 25
- Languages
- English
- Session format
- Online, through our partner platform
About Rita
Rita Downs is a Licensed Professional Counselor with 25 years of combined clinical and behavioral health experience. She practices in Oregon and focuses on common life challenges like stress, anxiety, addiction, depression, grief, and anger. Rita uses practical, down-to-earth language so people can feel understood quickly.
Rita believes each person knows their own story and brings strengths to healing. In sessions she listens first, then helps set small, realistic steps toward change.
Background and approach
Her approach is collaborative and paced to match what the client can manage. She draws on cognitive behavioral techniques to spot unhelpful thinking and try new behaviors. Solution-focused methods help people build on what already works, and motivational interviewing supports readiness to change.
Trauma-focused ideas guide work when past hurt still shows up in daily life. Rita has also worked in behavioral health administration, which gives her a broad view of services and supports. That background helps when coordinating care or looking at long-term patterns affecting mood and behavior.
She also attends to practical concerns like caregiver stress and midlife transitions. Sessions aim to teach concrete tools for managing strong emotions such as anger and impulsivity. Rita helps people rehearse new responses, practice coping skills, and track progress over time.
The goal is steady, manageable change that fits each person’s life.
What Rita works with
Everything Rita lists, in the therapist's own terms. Anger is the reason this directory exists; the rest tells you what usually sits alongside it in Rita's practice.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Addictions
- Parenting issues
- Depression
- ADHD
- Family conflicts
- Trauma and abuse
- Grief
- Anger management
- Self esteem
- Career difficulties
- Bipolar disorder
- Coping with life changes
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Autism and Asperger Syndrome
- Blended family issues
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Co-morbidity
- Codependency
- Communication problems
- Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
- Domestic violence
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- First responder issues
- Impulsivity
- Midlife crisis
- Mood disorders
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Postpartum depression
- Post-traumatic stress
- Pregnancy and childbirth
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Women's issues
- Young adult issues
Approaches Rita lists
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Motivational Interviewing
- Solution-Focused Therapy
- Trauma-Focused Therapy
Listing an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist names and does not check training records.
How Rita’s Approaches Work Online
Rita often uses cognitive behavioral therapy to help people identify and change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors. CBT is practical work that breaks problems into manageable parts and gives clear steps to try between sessions.She also uses client-centered methods that prioritize the person’s perspective. That means listening closely, reflecting what matters to the client, and shaping goals from the client’s own priorities. Motivational interviewing is another approach she uses to support readiness for change and strengthen commitment when people feel stuck.
Rita treats finding the right approach as a collaborative process. She will discuss options, try techniques, and adjust plans based on the client’s goals and preferences. Together they monitor progress and shift focus when something isn’t working.
Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video is useful for face-to-face conversations and exercises, phone calls can be simpler when bandwidth is limited, and messaging or chat works well for brief check-ins or when a shorter touchpoint fits someone’s day. These options make it easier to fit therapy into a busy schedule and keep momentum between visits.
Questions people ask about Rita
What concerns can Rita help with?
She works with stress, anxiety, addictions, depression, anger, grief, ADHD, career issues, and related life changes.
How would you describe her therapy style?
Her style is collaborative and straightforward. She listens first, then helps set small, actionable steps.
How much experience does she have?
Rita has 25 years of experience combining clinical work and behavioral health administration.
What are her credentials and where is she based?
She is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) licensed in Oregon.
Which languages are supported in sessions?
Sessions are offered in English.
What session formats are available?
Sessions can be held via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging.
How are costs handled?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with Rita?
Click the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to therapist availability.