About Risa
Risa Mendelson uses a practical, person-focused approach to therapy. She draws from client-centered therapy, cognitive behavioral techniques, dialectical behavior ideas, and mindfulness to help people manage stress, anxiety, and life changes. Risa holds an MA in Rehabilitation Counseling and Community Inclusion and a BS in Psychology, and she lists her LPC credential.
She describes working with people facing depression, addictions, bipolar mood concerns, and grief. Her background includes work with people who have physical challenges and traumatic brain injury.
Background and approach
That experience shaped how she looks at someone’s needs. She pays attention to mental, emotional, and physical factors when planning care. Sessions tend to focus on concrete skills and real-world problem solving.
Risa uses CBT tools to identify and change unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns. She also brings in DBT strategies for emotion regulation and distress tolerance. Mindfulness exercises are introduced to improve focus and reduce reactivity.
People come to her for help with relationships, family stress, self-esteem, career concerns, and coping with chronic illness or caregiver strain. She also supports those navigating panic attacks, social anxiety, and isolation. Her approach aims to help people build skills they can use outside of sessions.
With six years of clinical experience in Michigan, Risa blends practical techniques with a collaborative, respectful manner. She works in English and offers several online formats to fit different needs.
Approaches that translate well online
Client-centered therapy focuses on listening and understanding a person's experience. It helps people feel heard and shapes goals around what matters most to them. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, looks at thoughts and behaviors and teaches practical tools to reduce anxiety, manage mood, and change unhelpful patterns. Dialectical Behavior Therapy, or DBT, offers concrete skills for emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and improving relationships, which can be useful for intense emotions and impulsive responses.Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the work. The therapist will collaborate with each person to choose techniques that match their goals, needs, and day-to-day life. That plan can change as progress is made and as priorities shift.
Online therapy with Risa can happen through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging. Video calls let people use visual cues and practice skills together. Phone sessions can be a good option when bandwidth is limited or for a quick check-in. Live chat and text messaging work well for short updates, brief exercises, or ongoing support between sessions. These options make it easier to fit therapy into a busy schedule and to keep continuity when travel or other demands arise.
Questions people ask
What concerns does Risa commonly address?
What is her therapeutic style like?
How much clinical experience does she have?
What credentials and location are on record?
Which languages are supported and can she work internationally?
What session formats are available?
How is cost handled for sessions?
What are the first steps to begin therapy?
What this counselor works with
Most often
- Stress, Anxiety
- Self esteem
- Career difficulties
Also listed
- Addictions
- ADHD
- Anger management
- Bipolar disorder
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Coping with life changes
- Depression
- Family conflicts
- Grief
- Isolation / loneliness
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Relationship issues
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Trauma and abuse
- Traumatic brain injury
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 6 years
- Licensed
- Michigan
- Languages
- English