Nelson Rivera , LICSW, LCSW

Nelson Rivera is a licensed clinical social worker with more than 20 years of experience supporting people facing HIV/AIDS, substance use, and a wide range of behavioral health concerns. He has worked extensively with clients navigating depression, anxiety, relationship challenges, LGBTQA+ identity issues, career transitions, and multiple chronic medical conditions. His practice also includes long-standing work with adults who continue to feel the effects of childhood trauma and how those early experiences shape adult life.

Rivera combines a warm, interactive, and straightforward counseling style with a deep commitment to treating each person with respect, dignity, sensitivity, and compassion. He uses practical, evidence-informed methods that explore how thoughts influence behavior and supports clients through ambivalence using approaches such as cognitive behavioral therapy and motivational interviewing. He avoids rigid labels and adapts sessions and treatment plans to the unique needs of each individual.

Rivera holds both LICSW and LCSW credentials - state licenses that authorize clinical social work practice - and earned a master’s degree from New York University. He is also a candidate for a PhD in Organizational Psychology. He views seeking help as an act of courage and aims to empower clients to redesign a life that better fits their values and goals.

Throughout his career Rivera has helped people build new coping skills, address addictions, restore relationships, and find clearer direction, offering practical guidance and collaborative support along the way.

Therapeutic Approaches and Accessible Online Care

Nelson Rivera draws on evidence-informed approaches such as cognitive behavioral therapy and motivational interviewing to guide online work. Cognitive behavioral therapy helps identify and shift unhelpful thinking patterns and build practical skills for managing symptoms like anxiety, depression, or mood swings. Motivational interviewing focuses on resolving ambivalence and strengthening a person’s own motivations for change, which can be especially useful with addiction, readiness for lifestyle change, or career transitions. Trauma-focused therapy addresses the ways that past traumatic experiences continue to affect thoughts, feelings, and relationships, helping clients process memories and develop safer coping strategies when needed.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic process, and Rivera works collaboratively with each person to determine which methods best fit their needs, goals, and preferences. He adapts conversations and treatment plans rather than applying a single formula, partnering with clients to track progress and adjust course as needed.

Online therapy offers practical flexibility - sessions can occur by video call, by phone, through live chat, or via text-based messaging - making it easier to fit care into busy schedules, to continue work across locations, and to access licensed professionals from different places. This versatility supports consistent engagement and makes it simpler to try out different therapeutic approaches in collaboration with the therapist.