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RD Portrait of Rita Downs

Rita Downs

Compassionate, practical therapy for lifes challenges

LPC Oregon

Experience
25 years in practice
Focus areas
Stress, Anxiety, Addictions, Parenting
Approaches
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Client-Centered Therapy
Languages
English
Continue with Rita

About Rita

Rita Downs is an LPC practicing in Oregon with 25 years of combined clinical and behavioral health experience. She draws on long-term work supporting people facing stress, anxiety, addiction, depression, ADHD, trauma and related challenges, and approaches each person with respect for their own knowledge and strengths.

Background and approach

Rita emphasizes collaboration, helping clients identify practical steps and skills that fit their lives while honoring the client’s perspective and goals. Her practice incorporates cognitive behavioral methods alongside client-centered and motivational strategies to address problems like grief, anger, relationship and communication struggles, career transitions, and coping with life changes.

Rita also brings experience with geriatric concerns, autism spectrum issues, blended family dynamics, caregiver stress, codependency, and substance use concerns. She encourages those who are ready to begin to take that first step, acknowledging the courage it takes to seek support and offering a stance that is supportive, pragmatic, and focused on real-world progress.

Practical approaches for online growth and coping

Rita often draws on cognitive behavioral therapy to help clients notice and change unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns; this approach is useful for anxiety, depression, stress, and many everyday challenges because it focuses on concrete skills and measurable change. She also uses client-centered therapy which emphasizes understanding the client's perspective, using empathetic listening and validation to build a trusting working relationship that supports exploration and personal insight.

Deciding which approach fits best is part of the work together. Rita treats the selection of techniques as collaborative, listening to a client's needs, goals, and preferences and adjusting methods over time so the plan stays relevant and useful for the client's situation.

Online sessions are offered via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to provide flexibility for different schedules and comfort levels. These options make it easier to maintain continuity of care during busy periods, manage logistics like transportation, and try different formats to see what feels most effective for each person.

Frequently asked questions

What kinds of concerns does Rita work with?
Rita works with a wide range of issues including stress, anxiety, addictions, parenting and depression, as well as trauma, grief, anger, ADHD, bipolar concerns, and coping with life changes.
What is Rita's therapeutic style like?
Her approach is collaborative and strengths-based, using client-centered listening alongside practical techniques to help clients build skills and make changes that matter to them.
How much clinical experience does she have?
Rita brings 25 years of experience combining direct clinical work and behavioral health administration to her practice.
What credentials and location apply to her practice?
She is a licensed professional counselor with the credential OR LPC C0548 and practices in Oregon.
Can clients work with Rita in languages other than English?
Sessions are offered in English and she is not accepting international clients at this time.
Which session formats are available?
Clients can meet through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging depending on preference and scheduling.
How are fees and payment handled?
Cost varies by location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
What are the steps to begin working together?
To get started select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a session based on the therapist's availability.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Stress, AnxietyAddictionsParenting issuesDepressionADHD

Also works with

Family conflictsTrauma and abuseGriefAnger managementSelf esteemCareer difficultiesBipolar disorderCoping with life changes

Additional focus areas

Aging and geriatric issuesAutism and Asperger SyndromeBlended family issuesCaregiver issues and stressCo-morbidityCodependencyCommunication problemsCoping with natural or human-caused disasterDomestic violenceDrug and alcohol addictionFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsFirst responder issuesImpulsivityMidlife crisisMood disordersObsessions, compulsions, and OCDPanic disorder and panic attacksPostpartum depressionPost-traumatic stressPregnancy and childbirthSeasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Sexual assault and abuseSocial anxiety and phobiaWomen's issuesYoung adult issues

Therapeutic approaches

Client-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Motivational InterviewingSolution-Focused TherapyTrauma-Focused Therapy

Experience

25+ years

Licensed

Oregon

Languages

English