Nelson Rivera

Nelson Rivera is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with 20 years of experience. He focuses on practical, down-to-earth counseling and supports men’s wellbeing among other concerns. Nelson speaks English and Spanish and practices in the District of Columbia.

He has spent much of his career helping people impacted by HIV/AIDS, substance use, and behavioral health issues. He also helps people who live with depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, grief, and the fallout from childhood trauma. Career stress, relationship and intimacy issues, and struggles with addiction are common topics in his work.

Nelson describes his style as warm, interactive, and straightforward. He focuses on how thoughts shape behavior and uses approaches that encourage change in small, manageable steps. Motivational Interviewing is part of how he helps people move past ambivalence and begin making changes.

He adapts sessions to each person's needs rather than applying labels or a single method. That might mean using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy exercises to test unhelpful thinking or Trauma-Focused Therapy to address traumatic memories. He aims to make the process collaborative and practical.

Nelson also brings experience in organizational psychology and holds a master’s degree from New York University while pursuing a PhD. He emphasizes respect, dignity, and compassion, and encourages people to take the first step toward redesigning a life that fits them better.

Online approaches that focus on practical change