Abimael Torres-Rivera, LICSWA (he/him)

You're worthy and valuable, just the way you are. This is a standard and pillar I have decided to live by in my life, in the way I see myself and others. That includes you!

¡Bienvenidos! Welcome! You did it! You’ve made the decision to search for a therapist! I’ve been in your shoes. Nervous about the idea of talking to a stranger about my feelings and emotions. It’s valid. As a therapy-goer myself (yes, therapists have therapists!), I have come to understand that working on yourself is no easy process. We come with our own lived experiences, memories, trauma, and challenges. Within therapy there are moments of joy, laughter, sadness, tears, denial, acceptance, anger, frustration, and the list goes on. So why go on this intense roller-coaster ride filled with ups and downs, flips, twists and turns? Because you deserve to live out your life without the echoes from the past keeping you from living out your fullest potential.

My approach to therapy

I work individually with adolescents and adults, and provide both in-person and virtual sessions. We’ll go on this journey together, at a pace you are comfortable with, with humor and sass along the way (I gotta stay true to myself)! I get excited about working with folks who are reflective, curious to see how parts of their lives connect with other parts, who wonder how the past impacts and/or shapes their perspective on the present moment, and are willing to co-create the path they want to take in life. Our lives can sometimes feel like a messy puzzle where all of the pieces have been scattered, therefore sharing those parts of your life verbally in therapy may feel scattered. Let’s make sense of them together!

Your identities are valuable. I was born in Puerto Rico, and grew up in North Carolina. I have experience and bring a perspective on what it is like to grow up as a bi-cultural and bilingual (I speak Spanish) Latino with a lower socio-economic status in the southern United States and being in spaces where I was and am the only person of color. I am cognizant of how our intersected identities (gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, abilities, and much more) play a huge role in our daily lived experiences, and you deserve to freely express and share about all of the identities you feel ready to bring and show into our shared space, at your own time.

Some of the modalities/approaches that I pull from in sessions are: 

  • Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)

  • Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), 

  • Narrative therapy

  • Solutions-focused therapy

  • Motivational Interviewing

MEET THE TEAM

Areas of focus

Education and training

  • Master’s in Social Work (MSW), clinical concentration from the University of Washington 

  • B.S. in Biological Sciences with a Human Biology concentration from North Carolina State University - Raleigh. Minor: Criminology

Credentials

  • Licensed Independent Clinical Social Work Associate (#SC61461856)