Intersecting identities that inform my practice: I am a white nonbinary demi/asexual neurodiverse queer person who was socialized as female.

Clinical Specializations:

• Gender: My focus is working with everyone under the trans umbrella.

• LGBTQIA+: I am an expert in working with anyone who is part of the queer community, as well as their friends, families, and allies.

• Trauma: I am EMDR trained and specialize in working with people on both acute and chronic/longterm trauma.

• Substance Use: I am certified in addiction counseling.

Background & Approach: Hi! My name is Rikki (pronounced like Ricky), and I use they/them pronouns. I’m a talk therapist who specializes in working with queer and trans folks on trauma, depression, anxiety, and substance use. I decided to become a therapist when I was a teenager because a trans friend of mine had a very transphobic experience with a therapist, and I thought, “I could be a better therapist than that person!” Ten years later, I graduated from graduate school, having already completed two queer/trans liberation-focused clinical internships, already a better therapist to trans folks. Now, almost a further decade later, I have confidence that my passion for my community shines through as a therapist. I can help you break through the stuck-ness you feel with persistent problems in your life and support you in unlearning the damaging things people and society have taught you to think about yourself. You’ve got this, and I can be right here with you along the way.

I primarily work with people on trauma/PTSD, substance use/abuse, gender and sexuality topics (e.g. gender dysphoria), internalized oppression, depression/anxiety, neurospiciness, and relationships of all types (family, partner(s), friends). I am trained in EMDR, a type of specialty therapy for trauma and other issues that feel “stuck”. I am also certified in addiction counseling. I focus on long-term depth-based psychotherapy, so my style works best for people ready to start (or start thinking about) working on long-term issues, behavioral or thought patterns, and/or trauma that is affecting their lives.

My approach tends to be laid-back, warm, and accepting. I work to support you in improving your relationship with yourself and others. By collaborating with you to find the balance between support and challenge in the therapeutic relationship, I find that we can work together to build trust, foster interpersonal skills, and establish a new narrative about relationships that’s transferable to your day-to-day life.  

Theoretical & Clinical Orientation: My work is liberation-focused, anti-oppressive, and collaborative, with a focus on harm reduction. Much of my practice focuses on the way that systems interact with our lives and I have found that Narrative Therapy-style or Internal Family System-style unblending of systemic forces on a mezzo (e.g. parents’ voices, trauma) and macro levels (e.g. internalized transphobia, racism, capitalism etc.) is a valuable tool to clarify what your values are and support changes that allow you to make choices that better align with your truest self. I also am trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), an evidence-based treatment for trauma, which I find most helpful when something is really “stuck” in your life in order to get it unstuck and finally actually healing.

I work hard to be inclusive of trans/nonbinary, queer, neurospicy, and all marginalized people’s complex and nuanced intersecting identities in order to help you feel accepted and safe enough to break down the ways that oppression and discrimination affect our lives; This includes a commitment to being antiracist and anti-ableist. I am kink, asexuality, polyamory/ENM, and furry/therian friendly.

Licensure, Certifications, & Fellowships: 

Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) CSW.09927791

Certified Addiction Technician (CAT-I) ACA.0007441

Education & Training:

Master of Social Work, Metropolitan State University of Denver (2019) 

Bachelor of the Arts in Psychology, minor in Classics, University of Colorado at Boulder (2015)

Professional Service & Membership:

• National Association of Social Workers (NASW) since 2019

• (past) volunteer with Boulder County OASOS queer youth group

• (past) volunteer with Safehouse Progressive Alliance for Nonviolence (SPAN) 

Outside of Work: I’m a huge nerd for all things video games, D&D, and fantasy. I love spending time with my three pugs who are the lights of my life and taking them on a W-A-L-K. I also like crochet and knitting (my yarn stash is a little out of hand)! Whenever I can, I enjoy connecting with my chosen family one-on-one or in small groups.