Douglas Rizzo, MEd, LPC
Douglas Rizzo is a Licensed Professional Counselor specializing in individual psychotherapy and also acts as parent consultant with respect to parent-child/family issues. He maintains a private practice in Alexandria, VA.
A graduate of The College of William and Mary, Mr. Rizzo specializes in individual and parent-child therapy/parent consultations. He has accumulated over thirty-five years of experience serving in multiple treatment contexts such jails and adult correctional centers, therapeutic foster care, university counseling centers and community mental health centers serving adults, youth and families. He has functioned in various clinical roles such as community mental health and substance abuse counselor, college counselor, family counselor, clinical team lead and as a licensed supervising clinician.
Mr. Rizzo is currently serving as a private practice psychotherapist, collaborating with a wide spectrum of clients. He specializes in the areas of grief and loss, relationship difficulties, men's issues, personal growth, depression and anxiety, life changes and life transitions, career changes and urban stress; the creative, emotionally gifted and highly sensitive individual; temperament and its influence on work, relationships and functioning; developmental and complex trauma to include but not limited to first generation immigration and Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACOA).
Mr. Rizzo is a highly interactive and engaging therapist who employs an integrative approach that stresses the quality of the client-therapist relationship by continually monitoring the developing therapeutic alliance and by mindfully cultivating the client-therapist relationship "moment-by-moment." His therapeutic objective is to help the client develop insight and self-awareness with the goal of promoting the integration of mind and emotion while encouraging adaptive behavior changes.
Problematic states such as depression, anxiety, anger, resentment, guilt and shame and hopelessness are often not the problem but are actually symptoms that well up from a deeper source. Therapy identifies and addresses these deeper sources. The "crises" that occur in our lives are often an opportunity for positive change and Mr. Rizzo works with this in mind to help his clients recognize and act on these possibilities instead of becoming overwhelmed by their presence.
He embraces, practices and implements a very personalized approach tailored to the needs of each client. With compassion, understanding and "presence", Mr. Rizzo works with each individual to help them develop a greater sense of personal peace that is derived from a cooperation with life rather than by dominating it, whereby developing healthy interactions and relationships with all life around us.
For those seeking Christian based counseling, Mr. Rizzo, as a graduate of an evangelical Christian University, is able to provide this specialized counseling to those seeking comfort and guidance within this helping framework.
Education:
* The College of William and Mary, Community Counseling
* Liberty University, Developmental Psychology (with a concentration in theological studies)
License, Certifications & Awards:
* Licensed Professional Counselor
* The College of William and Mary: graduated with highest distinction
* Kappa Delta Pi member: International Honor Society in Education, The College of William and Mary
* Liberty University: Magna Cum Laude graduate
Additional Training:
* Numerous trainings, workshops and seminars over the span of thirty-five years addressing mental health, substance use, family/parent-child and related clinical areas
Professional Activities and Memberships:
* American Counseling Association
* SENG (Serving the Emotional Needs of the Gifted)