Rita Porter is a licensed clinical professional counselor in Illinois with 32 years of experience.
01About Rita
Rita Porter is a licensed clinical professional counselor in Illinois with 32 years of experience. She focuses on helping people through major life changes, recover from emotional wounds, and manage anxiety, depression, and addictive behaviors. Rita aims to create steady, practical support for people navigating stress and relationship struggles.
Her work tends to be straightforward and person-centered. She listens first and then helps people set small, realistic steps. Conversations often cover coping skills, building self-esteem, and handling overwhelming emotions so daily life becomes more manageable.
Background and approach
Rita draws on several approaches to match each person's needs. She uses cognitive behavioral ideas to spot unhelpful thinking patterns and ACT to help people live in line with their values. Mindfulness techniques are woven in to help calm the body and steady attention.
Sessions also address practical relationship and family concerns such as communication problems, blended family issues, and caregiver stress. Rita works with people facing grief, trauma and abuse, addiction, and challenges tied to parenting and career decisions. She brings extra attention to aging and geriatric issues, immigration-related stress, and fatherhood concerns.
The goal in her work is to help people build usable coping strategies, clearer choices, and more satisfying daily routines.
02Credentials
- LCPC (Illinois)
- License 180.002881 · expires March 2027
- NPI
- 1144423906 · national provider identifier
Both are public records. A state board register will confirm a license and its standing, and the national registry will confirm an NPI. This directory copies what the counselor lists and checks neither.
03Focus areas and approaches
Everything Rita lists on their public professional profile, in their own terms.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Addictions
- Self esteem
- Depression
- Coping with life changes
- Relationship issues
- Family conflicts
- Trauma and abuse
- Grief
- Parenting issues
- Anger management
- Career difficulties
- ADHD
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Blended family issues
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Codependency
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Divorce and separation
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Emptiness
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Fatherhood issues
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Immigration issues
- Isolation / loneliness
- Life purpose
- Midlife crisis
- Mood disorders
- Postpartum depression
- Pregnancy and childbirth
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self-love
- Women's issues
Methods Rita names
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)
- Mindfulness Therapy
- Motivational Interviewing
- Solution-Focused Therapy
These are the methods Rita names on their own professional profile. Naming an approach is not evidence of training or certification in it, and this directory checks no training records. Ask directly if it matters to you.
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04Online support
Using evidence-based approaches in online care
Rita commonly uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in her online work. ACT helps people identify what matters most and take steps toward those values, even when difficult thoughts or feelings appear. CBT focuses on noticing and changing unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns to reduce anxiety and depressive symptoms.She also integrates Client-Centered Therapy principles, which emphasize listening, empathy, and working at the client's pace. Together these approaches give a balance of practical skills, value-based direction, and empathic listening so people can progress in ways that fit their goals.
Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the work. Rita will collaborate with each person to choose techniques that match their needs, goals, and preferences. She checks in regularly to adjust methods and pace based on how someone responds.
Online therapy offers flexibility through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video is useful for deeper, conversational work and visual cues. Phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited or a shorter check-in is needed. Live chat and text messaging are helpful for brief updates, between-session support, or when typing feels more comfortable. These options make it easier to fit therapy into busy lives and different schedules.
05Questions people ask
What kinds of problems can Rita help with?
Rita helps people with stress, anxiety, depression, addictions, low self-esteem, trauma and abuse, grief, parenting concerns, relationship and family issues, ADHD, and life changes.
What is Rita's therapeutic style like?
Her style is collaborative and person-centered. She listens, helps set realistic steps, and uses practical tools to improve daily coping and relationships.
How much experience does she have?
She has 32 years of clinical experience working with a wide range of emotional and life challenges.
What credentials and location are listed?
Rita holds the credential LCPC and practices in Illinois.
In which languages are sessions offered?
Sessions are offered in English. International clients are not currently accepted.
Which session formats are available?
She offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to accommodate different needs and schedules.
How is cost handled?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin therapy with Rita?
Click the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule sessions according to therapist availability.
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