Rita Ham , LMHP

Rita Ham brings four decades of clinical experience to work with adults facing a wide range of mental health and substance use challenges. Her career began in community-based substance use treatment, where she completed training and led interventions for concerned family members - an early experience that shaped a long professional commitment to supporting individuals and families affected by addiction and co-occurring issues.

She is credentialed as a Licensed Mental Health Practitioner (LMHP) and has also held licensure for substance use counseling in Nebraska and previously in Kansas. Over the years she has worked in residential treatment settings and, since 1995, has provided outpatient services through community programs, serving individuals, couples, families, and groups for mental health and substance use concerns.

Rita focuses currently on adult clients and draws on cognitive behavioral therapy, trauma-informed principles, and a range of evidence-informed techniques often described as best practices. She emphasizes that a diagnosis can guide treatment while not defining the person, and she works to build life skills alongside symptom-focused strategies. With client approval she sometimes involves members of a person s support system to aid in recovery and growth.

Her approach is warm and interactive, grounded in respect, compassion, sensitivity, and honesty. Rita emphasizes establishing a strong trusting relationship that allows for honest dialogue and respectful challenge as clients clarify goals and pursue meaningful change.

Therapeutic Approaches for Online Support

Rita Ham incorporates cognitive behavioral therapy and client-centered techniques into her online practice. Cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, helps people identify and change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors and is often used for anxiety, depression, mood disorders, and stress-related concerns. Client-centered therapy emphasizes a respectful, nonjudgmental relationship in which the therapist listens closely and supports the client s own goals and self-directed growth, which can be especially useful for issues like self-esteem, relationship difficulties, and life transitions.

Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. Rita works with each person to assess needs, preferences, and goals, and she adapts methods over time so the plan reflects what is most helpful for the individual. Therapists and clients work together to try techniques and refine the approach as progress unfolds.

Online therapy options such as video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging offer flexibility that can make regular care easier to fit into busy lives. These formats allow licensed professionals to provide consistent support, facilitate skill-building, and maintain continuity of care when in-person visits are not feasible, while making therapy more accessible across schedules and locations.