AMY NELSON RIVERA, MS, LPC

HEY!

I’m Amy

A black/biracial, funny, creative, wise, goal-oriented, tenacious counselor & mom, dedicated to helping you become the person you most want to be.

A born-and-raised Georgia girl with nothing more than passion, a license, an office, and a dream, I’m proud to have created and am currently expanding (send me your resumes!!!) a socially-conscious therapy practice that has helped hundreds of people make personal changes.

Through individual, family, and group therapy, and using a combination of DBT and CBT, empathy, humor, and tough truths, I help people like you dream big and show up for themselves in life-changing ways. The goal may seem IMPOSSIBLE. I can assure you, it is not. Through small, consistent interventions, together, we can get you tipped out of that stuck place and into your best life.

One of the things I’m often asked is "How did you get started in all this?"

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been VERY interested in human behavior. I wanted to know what exactly it is that makes life seem so effortless for some people, yet soul-suckingly difficult for others. I was seeing people longing to feel fulfilled, yet consistently falling short of that goal. Why do some people work so hard to barely make it while others find a way to thrive, often despite one challenge after another?  What keeps people stuck in patterns which are no longer serving them? 

I was also passionate about a multitude of seemingly unconnected things: art, music, psychology, entrepreneurship, creativity, fashion, education, spirituality, mentorship, and writing, just to name a few. 

After realizing I hated corporate jobs and had a lot of angst trying to balance work life and home life, I realized that my unusual combination of interests and skills was a strength, not a liability.

In 2006, I gave up the security of the 8-4 grind, and started with ONE CLIENT. Correct. No husband yet, no savings, no loans, and also began contracting to see parolees part-time in two county parole offices, and marketing my private practice to one referral source at a time to keep a roof over my head, while slowly building a counseling business from the ground up.

Fast forward 15-ish years, and I have a thriving individual practice and am gearing up to form a group practice of like-minded individuals, serving all of Georgia and Florida.  Join me for the ride!

I live in Marietta with my amazing 11-year old daughter, Amelia, and a tiny, angry dog named Peanut.

CREDENTIALS 

2006 Licensed Professional Counselor

Georgia Secretary of State

2003 Licensed Associate Professional Counselor 

Georgia Secretary of State

2003

Master of Science in Professional Counseling

Georgia State University, Atlanta, Ga

2001

Bachelor of Science in Psychology 

Tennessee Temple University