Risa Mendelson, LPC - Therapist in Michigan

About Risa

Risa Mendelson uses a practical, collaborative approach to help people manage stress, anxiety, and major life changes. She draws on plain talk and evidence-based techniques to create straightforward plans clients can try between sessions. Risa presents herself as calm and direct, focusing on what someone needs right now rather than clinical jargon.

She is an LPC - Licensed Professional Counselor - based in Michigan and offers therapy in English. Risa has a background in rehabilitation counseling and community inclusion, with a Master of Arts in that field.

Background and approach

She also holds a Bachelor of Science in psychology with a focus on human development. Those studies shaped the way she looks at the whole person - mentally, physically, and emotionally. She also trained as a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant, which informs her practical focus on daily functioning.

Her clinical work blends Client-Centered Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and mindfulness practices. In sessions she helps people spot patterns, try small behavior changes, and practice skills for managing strong feelings. She uses mindfulness to teach self-awareness and grounding techniques.

Risa has six years of experience working with a range of concerns including depression, addictions, grief, bipolar disorder, relationship and family stress, ADHD, and trauma and abuse. She also has experience supporting people facing chronic illness, caregiver stress, social anxiety, panic, and traumatic brain injury. She aims to build simple, achievable plans with each person.

The emphasis is on usable tools, steady progress, and adjusting the work to fit real life demands.

Therapeutic approaches and online care that fit your life

Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening and understanding each person's experience without judgment; it helps people feel heard and clearer about what they want from therapy. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, looks at how thoughts and actions affect emotions and teaches specific skills to change unhelpful patterns, which can be useful for anxiety, depression, and managing ADHD symptoms.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist collaborates with each person to choose techniques that match their goals, needs, and day-to-day realities. That means trying strategies, checking what helps, and shifting methods when needed so the plan actually fits the client's life.

Online sessions are offered as video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to make therapy more flexible. These options allow scheduling around work, caregiving, and other responsibilities, and let people use the format that feels most comfortable. Licensed professionals adapt their techniques for each format so the focus stays on practical, usable tools rather than lengthy explanations.

Client-Centered Therapy

The direction comes from you rather than from a set programme. The therapist offers a warm, non-judgemental space to think out loud and work at your own pace. Online, this rests on the relationship rather than on being in the same room.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

CBT looks at the link between what you think, how you feel, and what you do. You work on noticing unhelpful patterns and practising steadier responses. It suits online sessions well, because much of the work happens between appointments and can be talked through from anywhere.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

Concrete skills for riding out strong emotion, tolerating distress, and handling relationships without things escalating. The skills are practised in daily life, so between-session support by message or phone fits naturally.

Frequently asked questions

What kinds of problems does Risa address?

She works with stress, anxiety, depression, self-esteem, relationship and family concerns, addictions, grief, bipolar issues, ADHD, trauma and abuse, and coping with life changes. Additional focuses include caregiver stress, chronic illness and pain, isolation, panic attacks, social anxiety, and traumatic brain injury.

What is her general therapy style?

Her style is collaborative and practical, combining client-centered listening with skills-based strategies from CBT and DBT plus mindfulness. Sessions focus on identifying patterns and trying concrete tools between meetings.

How much clinical experience does she have?

She has six years of experience working in clinical and rehabilitation settings where she supported people with physical challenges and mental health concerns.

What credentials and location are listed?

She is an LPC - Licensed Professional Counselor - with license number MI LPC 6401019170 and practices in Michigan.

Can I meet with her in a language other than English?

Sessions are offered in English.

Are sessions available in different online formats?

Sessions can be conducted via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to fit different preferences and schedules.

How is cost handled for sessions?

Cost varies with location and therapist availability and uses a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.

What are the first steps to begin therapy?

Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, completing a short matching questionnaire, and then scheduling a session based on the therapist's availability.

Specialties and expertise

Top specialties

Stress, Anxiety
Self esteem
Career difficulties

Also works with

Therapeutic approaches

Experience: 6 years
Licensed: Michigan
Languages: English

Next step

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