Rita Mahon, LICSW
Practical support for life transitions
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- Focus on strengths
- Evidence-informed tools
- Collaborative process
About Rita
Rita Mahon is a licensed clinical social worker in Rhode Island who helps people facing stress, anxiety, relationship strain, grief, and trauma. She writes plainly and works with clients to identify strengths and practical steps forward. Rita frames seeking help as a courageous first step and offers steady support through change.
Rita draws on 18 years of professional experience and uses a few different therapy approaches to match what each person needs. She leans on client-centered ideas that prioritize the person's own goals and pace. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy techniques are used when people want concrete tools to manage thoughts and behaviors.
Rita also integrates Acceptance and Commitment Therapy ideas to help people live around painful thoughts instead of being stopped by them. She values working together to find what feels most useful in the moment. Sessions emphasize clear goals and everyday skills that people can try between meetings.
Her background includes work with a wide range of concerns such as addictions, ADHD, parenting stress, intimacy and self-esteem difficulties, and coping with life changes. She has training in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, which she may draw on when trauma processing is appropriate.
Rita aims to make therapy straightforward and approachable. She focuses on practical strategies, honest conversation, and helping people reconnect with what matters to them as they move through midlife and other transitions.
Rita draws on 18 years of professional experience and uses a few different therapy approaches to match what each person needs. She leans on client-centered ideas that prioritize the person's own goals and pace. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy techniques are used when people want concrete tools to manage thoughts and behaviors.
Rita also integrates Acceptance and Commitment Therapy ideas to help people live around painful thoughts instead of being stopped by them. She values working together to find what feels most useful in the moment. Sessions emphasize clear goals and everyday skills that people can try between meetings.
Her background includes work with a wide range of concerns such as addictions, ADHD, parenting stress, intimacy and self-esteem difficulties, and coping with life changes. She has training in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, which she may draw on when trauma processing is appropriate.
Rita aims to make therapy straightforward and approachable. She focuses on practical strategies, honest conversation, and helping people reconnect with what matters to them as they move through midlife and other transitions.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
AddictionsLGBTFamily conflictsIntimacy-related issuesParenting issuesAnger managementSelf esteemCareer difficultiesBipolar disorderCoping with life changesCoachingCompassion fatigueADHD
Additional focus areas
AbandonmentAdoption and foster careAging and geriatric issuesAttachment issuesAvoidant personalityBlended family issuesBody imageCaregiver issues and stressCo-morbidityCodependencyCommitment issuesCommunication problemsControl issuesCoping with natural or human-caused disasterDependent personalityDissociationDivorce and separationDomestic violenceEating and food-related issuesEmptinessFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsFatherhood issuesFertility issuesFirst responder issuesForgivenessGender dysphoriaGuilt and shameHearing impairedHospice and end-of-life counselingImpulsivityInfidelityIsolation / lonelinessJealousyLife purposeMidlife crisisVeteran and Armed Forces IssuesMoney and financial issuesMood disordersMulticultural concernsNarcissismObsessions, compulsions, and OCDPanic disorder and panic attacksParanoiaPersonality disordersPhobiasPostpartum depressionPost-traumatic stressPregnancy and childbirthProcess addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Self-harmSelf-loveSexual assault and abuseSexualitySocial anxiety and phobiaSomatizationWomen's issuesWorkplace issuesYoung adult issues
Therapeutic approaches
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)Client-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)Existential TherapyEye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)Gottman MethodJungian TherapyMindfulness TherapyNarrative TherapyPsychodynamic TherapySolution-Focused TherapySomatic TherapyTrauma-Focused Therapy
Experience
18+ years
Credentials
Rhode Island
Languages
English
Therapeutic approaches and online care
Rita commonly uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in her work. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy helps people notice difficult thoughts and feelings while choosing actions that fit their values. It is useful for anxiety, stress, and life transitions. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy focuses on identifying patterns of thinking and behavior to develop practical skills for mood and worry management.Finding the right approach is part of the process and Rita treats it as a collaboration. She will talk with each person about their goals and preferences and suggest ways of working that match those needs. Together they check what helps and adjust the approach as therapy unfolds.
Confirm the current online session options before booking, as formats are not specified here. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life, allow shorter check-ins during a workday, or remove travel time. Many people find that using focused techniques remotely still lets them practice skills between sessions and move forward with daily responsibilities.
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does Rita often help with?
She works with stress, anxiety, relationship issues, trauma and abuse, grief, depression, addictions, LGBT concerns, parenting strain, self-esteem, and related challenges listed in her specialties.
What is her therapeutic style like?
Rita uses a collaborative, client-centered approach and mixes practical techniques with values-based work to help people set and reach goals.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She has 18 years of professional experience working in clinical settings and with a broad range of concerns.
What credentials and region are listed for this therapist?
Rita holds an LICSW and is licensed in Rhode Island as an RI LICSW.
In which languages are sessions offered?
Sessions are offered in English.
Are international clients accepted?
International clients are not currently accepted.
How is cost handled for sessions?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability, and 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 the therapist's availability.