Psychotherapy and Counseling
for English-speaking Clients

Licensed Clinical Psychologist Ritva Leena Morales

Ritva Leena Morales, MSc, GMBPsS, LMHC
Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Psychotherapist

Psychotherapy and Counseling

I help you to navigate with various life challenges, adverse events, anxiety, job stress, depression, mental health issues, substance abuse, drug addiction, or other issues that may may be interfering with your ability to function effectively, and affect your psychological wellbeing, relationships, or productivity at work.

My Areas of Clinical Expertise Include:

Treatment Approach

I utilize Integrative Therapy, that combines different therapy modalities and evidence-based treatment, to fit the needs of the individual client. In my practice, I integrate various psychotherapeutic methods and orientations, depending on the client’s unique background and presenting concerns.

These approaches include solution-focused brief therapy, cognitive behavioral, client-centered, insight-oriented, culturally sensitive, strength-based, mindfulness-based, and psychodynamic approaches. I may also incorporate the use of other methods in order to tailor my psychological services to the client’s needs.  

My main focus is on the here and now, but I may explore the client’s past to provide insight on how early experiences and relationships, and unresolved issues, continue to influence the present, in terms of thoughts, feelings, behavior and current relationships, and how they may impact the day-to-day life.

Individual Psychotherapy

Individual psychotherapy involves you, the client, talking to the psychotherapist about your issues and concerns, as well as your goals. The session focus may be on current or past issues, problems, feelings, relationships, etc. Together we explore the aspects that are contributing to your distress, and what no longer works, including unhelpful thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. We explore how you can better handle difficult and painful thoughts and feelings. We examine how the past still may influence your behavior today. We learn how to identify unhealthy patterns and how to change them for healthier ones.

The sessions are usually scheduled weekly, especially initially, but the frequency may vary depending on your needs.

Psychotherapy may be a time-limited brief therapy or as long as several years, depending on the client’s needs and personal goals. Toward the end of treatment, the frequency of sessions may be reduced to encourage client autonomy.

Online Therapy

The sessions are provided online via Zoom video.
Languages: English, Finnish, Swedish, Norwegian
Areas of Practice: Adults, Individuals

To schedule an online session, please contact me by email:  RLMorales@protonmail.com

Ritva Leena Morales, Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Psychotherapist

Licensed Clinical Psychologist Ritva Leena Morales

EXPERIENCE
Over twenty years of experience providing Counseling and Psychotherapy in Europe and the USA. My experience includes Mental Health Counseling and Psychotherapy; CBT – Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Anxiety and Depression; I worked within a Primary Care Mental Health Team for NHS – National Health Service in the UK; University Counseling Services within the City University of New York – CUNY; Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Counseling in NYC; provided Counseling Services for Active-Duty service members and their families; and Outpatient and Inpatient Psychological Treatment for Alcohol and Substance Use Disorders.

LICENSE

• Registered Psychologist with the Belgian Commission of Psychologists (Registration number: 582211571)
• Approval as a Clinical Psychologist from the Belgian Federal Public Service (FPS) Health (Visa number 350751)
• Member of the Flemish Association of Clinical Psychologists (VVKP)
• Registered Psychologist (EuroPsy) with The European Federation of Psychologists’ Association (EFPA)
• Licensed Psychologist in Norway
• Licensed Psychologist in Denmark
• New York State – USA Licensed Therapist (LMHC)

Education and training

Raised in a Nordic country, Finland, and internationally educated: in Scandinavia, the UK, and the USA. I graduated from the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, in 2001, with a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology (Danish title “cand.psych”, which is protected by Danish state law), after having previously completed two Bachelor’s degrees: BA in Psychology at the University of Copenhagen, and BSc in Education, at Stockholm University. Subsequently, I completed supplementary educational training for two years and received the Authorization (License) as a Psychologist in Denmark.

Later, I completed my Postgraduate Certificate in Advanced Practice Interventions for Mental Health—Primary Mental Health Care, in Evidence-Based Interventions (CBT—Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy) at the University of Manchester, the Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences, in the U.K.

Ritva Leena Morales, MSc, GMBPsS, LMHC
Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Psychotherapist