I am a licensed clinical psychologist with eight years of experience treating trauma, depression, anxiety and OCD, and insomnia. I also specialize in supporting trans, queer, and neurodivergent clients. In addition to therapy, I provide supervision and consultation to therapists seeking to deepen their skill in trauma work and treating OCD.
I completed my Ph.D. in clinical psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, my predoctoral internship at the Philadelphia VA Medical Center, and my postdoctoral fellowship at the Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety (CTSA) in Penn Medicine. My research has focused on how trauma affects emotional memories.
I believe that you have everything within you that you need in order to heal — and, that sometimes we can all use a little help.
I believe each client has inherent worth and unique strengths, and that you are the best knower of yourself. What I bring to our work is a deep knowledge of therapeutic techniques that can help people with trauma, depression and anxiety, and OCD, to feel better. I know it can be hard to reach out for help, so my goal is to create an empathic and compassionate space.
I specialize in helping clients with painful and traumatic experiences.
Often clients wonder if the pain you have gone through is “big enough.” There is no rule about what “counts” as traumatic. There is evidence that when we take clients’ pain seriously, rather than gatekeeping what is trauma, people find relief. You are not too much, and what you have been through is not too small. Whatever you are carrying, I would be honored to support you.
I am experienced in working with clients who have survived sexual harm, intimate partner violence, pregnancy loss and childbirth trauma, medical trauma, military and combat trauma, community or identity-based violence, sudden death or loss of a loved one, and traumatic invalidation or rejection. A trauma response can show up as flashbacks and nightmares, but it can also show up as depression, self harm or suicidality, anger and irritability, or anxiety and panic. Rebuilding your life after trauma can take time, but with good therapy, these symptoms are treatable and do not have to be a part of that journey.
I also specialize in anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).
I practice exposure based CBT for anxiety, and exposure and response prevention therapy (ERP) for OCD. I have helped clients find relief from intrusive thoughts, fears, and compulsions around concerns including illness or contamination, reassurance seeking in intimate relationships, doubting and checking, and many others. I have completed a two year postdoctoral fellowship at the Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety (CTSA) specializing in ERP for OCD, and I am certified in this treatment.
I take an eclectic approach.
People do not come in boxes, and neither does good therapy. Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) is a powerful tool, but sometimes healing needs an additional layer or a different approach. In addition to techniques from CBT, I also draw on humanistic and systemic approaches to support clients in clarifying and processing the underlying or environmental factors that can contribute to your mental wellness. This can include addressing your identity and values, the role of learning and trauma histories in understanding your symptoms, and the impacts of systemic harm.
Credentials
I am certified in exposure and response prevention therapy (ERP) for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. I am a CTSA certified consultant in prolonged exposure therapy (PE) for PTSD, and can provide consultation toward formal certification in PE for therapists who have completed the CTSA intensive training in PE.
My clinical training includes externships and/or rotations in:
- Penn Assessment Clinic conducting diagnostic assessments, ADHD evaluations, and neuropsychology assessments
- Penn Anxiety Program
- Penn Cognitive Therapy Clinic for depression
- Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic
- CBT-I therapist at the Penn Sleep Center
- Predoctoral internship at the Philadelphia VA Medical Center
- Postdoctoral fellowship at the Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety in Penn Medicine
Pennsylvania License # PS020291, Rivka Cohen, Ph.D.
Pennsylvania Practice License # PF002451, Center for Meaning and Resilience LLC
Authority to Practice Interjurisdictional Telepsychology (APIT) in over 40 jurisdictions through PsyPact, APIT #23054, Issue Date: 09/11/2025