ABOUT THERAPY
Therapy is not only for a crisis. Anyone can benefit from a confidential space to understand what is happening, learn new skills, and make lasting change. You might consider therapy if you are experiencing:
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Ongoing anxiety, worry, sadness, or anger
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Intrusive thoughts, compulsions, or perfectionism that take up time and energy
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Burnout, workplace stress, low self-esteem, or body image concerns
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Difficulty communicating with a partner, or a loss of trust after infidelity
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Concerns about desire, intimacy, or your sexual relationship
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Grief after a death, the end of a relationship, or the loss of an animal companion
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Chronic pain and its emotional toll
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Questions about identity, self-worth, or a major life transition
ABOUT ME
I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with more than eight years of experience providing therapy to adults throughout California, both individually and in relationships. I practice through Melissa Rivera, A Marriage and Family Therapy Corporation.
In relationship therapy, I work with partners, multi-partner relationships, adult family members, and co-parents. This work includes recovery from infidelity, sex therapy, ethical non-monogamy, communication, and boundary setting. I am a Certified Sex Therapy Informed Professional. I provide affirming care for LGBTQ+ individuals and relationships.
In individual therapy, I treat anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), perfectionism, low self-esteem, workplace stress, and burnout. For anxiety, OCD, perfectionism, and self-esteem, I draw heavily on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), which helps clients make room for difficult thoughts and feelings while acting on what matters to them. My work with OCD and anxiety also includes Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), an evidence-based treatment that helps clients gradually face feared situations and reduce compulsive responses. I also help clients manage chronic pain and its emotional impact, and I work with clients on body image concerns. In addition, I help adults explore their intersecting identities and adjust to major life transitions.
I support clients through grief and loss, including the death of a loved one, the end of a relationship, and the loss of an animal companion. As a certified Pet Loss Bereavement Specialist, I also offer a validating space for ethical vegans and animal advocates.
My approach is active and skills-based, and I often assign work between sessions so that progress continues outside of the therapy hour. For established clients, when clinically indicated, I provide documentation for emotional support animals and letters of support for gender-affirming medical care.
Outside of work, I enjoy vegan cooking and baking, fitness, music, watercolor, ceramics, and travel. I am a former cat lady and new amateur dog mom.
MY APPROACH
My approach is collaborative, active, and skills-based. We set clear goals together and track progress with brief standardized assessments. I often assign work to complete between sessions so that progress continues outside of the therapy hour. Depending on your treatment goals, this may include:
• Breathing exercises
• Prescribing the symptom
• ERP interventions
• Relevant workbook pages
• Specific types of journaling
• Sex therapy exercises
• Emotional regulation skills
• Communication skills
• Selected art therapy activities
• Selected narrative therapy activities
I draw on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), Internal Family Systems (IFS), sex therapy, Motivational Interviewing, and solution-focused, strengths-based, and harm reduction approaches.
TYPES OF THERAPY OFFERED
INDIVIDUAL THERAPY
A confidential, non-judgmental space to understand what is holding you back and build skills to move forward. I work with adults experiencing anxiety, perfectionism, low self-esteem, body image concerns, workplace stress, burnout, chronic pain, and major life transitions. For anxiety, OCD, perfectionism, and self-esteem, I often use Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Together we explore your intersecting identities, your goals, and the patterns that keep you stuck.
RELATIONSHIP THERAPY
Helping adults in any kind of relationship communicate more clearly, resolve conflict, and rebuild connection. I work with partners and multi-partner relationships, adult family members, and co-parents, including relationships recovering from infidelity, setting and respecting boundaries, and navigating ethical non-monogamy. I provide affirming care for LGBTQ+ relationships. Relationship concerns can also be addressed in individual therapy.
FAMILY THERAPY
Using family systems approaches, we examine roles, dynamics, past hurts, and boundaries within the family. Family conflict can also be addressed in individual therapy.
GRIEF, LOSS, AND PET LOSS BEREAVEMENT
Grief takes many forms: the death of a loved one, the end of a relationship, or the loss of an animal family member. As a certified Pet Loss Bereavement Specialist, I recognize that losing an animal companion is a real and significant loss. I also offer a validating space for ethical vegans and animal advocates, whose experiences are often discounted.
SEX THERAPY
As a Certified Sex Therapy Informed Professional, I help individuals and partners address concerns with desire, arousal, and intimacy in a respectful, shame-free setting. Sex therapy is active work. When partners attend together, everyone participates in sessions and in exercises completed at home, which may include erotic recovery interventions.
EXPOSURE & RESPONSE PREVENTION THERAPY (ERP) FOR OCD & ANXIETY
ERP is an evidence-based treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxiety, and perfectionism. We build a plan together to gradually face feared thoughts and situations while reducing the compulsions, reassurance seeking, and avoidance that keep anxiety going. Practice between sessions is central to ERP. I often combine ERP with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).
DOCUMENTATION SERVICES
For established clients, when clinically indicated, I provide:
• Emotional support animal (ESA) documentation, following a clinical evaluation and in line with California law (AB 468)
• Letters of support for gender-affirming medical care, such as hormone therapy or surgery, consistent with the WPATH Standards of Care
These letters are written only within an ongoing therapeutic relationship, not as stand-alone services.
WELLNESS TALK THERAPY VIDEOS
Video 1: Pet loss and saying goodbye, with Dr. John Grote, DVM.
I welcome Dr John Grote DVM for a discussion about pet loss, anticipatory and sudden grief, quality of life for pets, when to consider compassionate euthanasia/transition, what compassionate euthanasia/transition is, how to prepare to say goodbye to your pet, and self-care for the difficulties of saying goodbye.
Video 2: Honoring your pet and pet cremation, with Scott Summerville.
I'm joined by Scott Summerville of At Garden's Edge pet cremation services. We discuss Pet Loss Bereavement, Anticipatory and Sudden Grief, how to honor your pet, cremation services, recommendations for self-care, and reflecting on positive memories.
CREDENTIALS
Education
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B.A., Liberal Studies, Emphases in Behavioral Sciences and Education, University of California, Riverside
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M.A., Psychology, Phillips Graduate Institute
Certifications
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Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, California, LMFT #105924
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Certified Sex Therapy Informed Professional, Integrative Sex Therapy Institute
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Pet Loss Bereavement Specialist Certification, American Association of Veterinary State Boards
Relevant Training
• Adolescents, Technology, and Reducing the Risk for HIV, STDs, and Pregnancy
• Allyship
• Body Image and Self-Esteem
• Cannabis and Mental Illness
• Characteristics and Sexuality of Queer People
• Clinical Supervision: Principles and Practices
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Anger Management
• Common Experiences and Challenges of Working with Victims of Human Trafficking
• Consensual Non-Monogamy in Romantic Relationships
• Couple-Level Minority Stress and Mental Health Among People in Same-Sex Relationships
• Ethical Issues in Mental Health for Social Workers
• Erotic Recovery for Low-Sex & No-Sex Couples
• Exploring the Q in LGBTQ
• Fundamentals of Exposure-Based Therapy for OCD and Anxiety Disorders
• Gender-Affirming Care: Writing Support Letters
• Healing from Affairs: Moving Past the Trauma of Betrayal and Infidelity
• HIV and AIDS: A Therapist's Reference Guide to Treatment Issues
• Human Sexuality
• Imposter Syndrome
• Integrative Sex & Couples Therapy
• Internal Family Systems
• Internet-Based Support for Young Adults with ADHD and Autism
• Intimacy Loss in Dying and Grief
• Intimacy and Sexuality
• Intimate Partner Violence Among Men Who Have Sex with Men
• Kink & BDSM 101
• LGBTQ+ Identity Management on Social Media
• Masculinity and Minority Stress among Men in Same-sex Relationships
• Mass Violence and Behavioral Health
• Minority Stress and Mental Health in Same-sex Relationships
• Porn and Relationships
• Positive Psychology
• Relationship Factors and Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) Use for Gay and Bisexual Men
• Responding to Transgender Victims of Sexual Assault
• Reviving Desire in Low Sex & No Sex Couples: A 4-Step Erotic Recovery Plan
• Sexual Arrangements among Gay and Bisexual Men
• Special Topics in Telehealth
• Suicide Prevention, Risk Assessment, and Intervention
• The Marriage Check-up with Gay and Lesbian Couples
• The Psychology of Puppy Play
• Trans/Non-binary 101
• Transgender Microaggressions as Ethical Violations in Therapy
• Treating Repetitive Negative Thinking and Anxiety
• Treating Same Sex Couples
• Understanding the Effects of Maltreatment on Brain Development
• What’s New with Sex?: Expanding and Exploring the Therapeutic Comfort Zone
• Working with LGBT Individuals
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
WHERE ARE YOU LOCATED?
All sessions are virtual, so I can see clients anywhere in California.
HOW LONG DOES EACH THERAPY SESSION TAKE?
Individual sessions are about 45 minutes, and relationship sessions (two or more adults) are about 55 minutes. I recommend weekly sessions to start, moving to every other week as you make progress.
DO YOU ACCEPT INSURANCE?
Yes. I am in network through Octave, a mental health group practice, with Aetna, Anthem Blue Cross of California, Blue Shield of California, Health Net, Prime Health, and Out-of-State BlueCard PPO plans. To use your insurance, please book through my Octave profile. If you plan to use out-of-network benefits, I can provide a superbill you can submit to your insurance for possible reimbursement.
WHAT IS THE COST?
DO YOU OFFER SLIDING SCALE RATES?
I am happy to discuss fees by phone. Sessions not billed through Octave are paid through Blueprint, a secure, HIPAA-compliant platform that accepts major credit cards. I offer a limited number of sliding scale openings through Open Path Collective, a nonprofit network that connects clients with reduced-fee therapy. Open Path members pay a one-time membership fee to Open Path. To ask about an opening, contact me or find me on Open Path.
WILL I HAVE HOMEWORK BETWEEN SESSIONS?
Often, yes. Between-session practice, such as journaling, breathing exercises, ERP exercises, or communication skills, helps progress continue outside of the therapy hour. We will choose assignments that fit your goals and schedule.
DO YOU WRITE LETTERS OF SUPPORT FOR GENDER-AFFIRMING CARE?
Yes. For established clients, I write letters of support for gender-affirming medical care, such as hormone therapy or surgery, consistent with the WPATH Standards of Care.
DO YOU WORK WITH LGBTQ+ CLIENTS AND NON-MONOGAMOUS RELATIONSHIPS?
Yes. I provide affirming care for LGBTQ+ individuals and relationships, and I work with clients in monogamous and ethically non-monogamous relationships.
CAN YOU WRITE AN EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMAL (ESA) LETTER?
For established clients, when clinically indicated, yes. California law (AB 468) requires an established client relationship of at least 30 days and a clinical evaluation before an ESA letter can be issued, so I do not provide letters to new clients after a single session.
HOW DO YOU PROTECT MY INFORMATION AND TRACK MY PROGRESS?
I use Blueprint, a HIPAA-compliant platform, for clinical notes and secure billing. I also use brief standardized assessments at the start of therapy and along the way, so we can measure your progress together.
CONTACT ME
Ready to get started, or have a question about whether we would be a good fit? Call, text, or email me to schedule a free 15-minute consultation.
Licensed by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences
License No. LMFT105924
Phone/text: (626) 421-2360