Rita Ham , LMHP

Rita Ham brings more than 40 years of experience providing therapy to individuals managing mental health concerns, substance use, and co-occurring challenges. Her interest in helping others began in a community-based substance use treatment center, where she completed training and facilitated interventions for family members concerned about loved ones. That early work set the course for a long and rewarding career focused on recovery and wellbeing.

She is credentialed as a Licensed Mental Health Practitioner (LMHP), a credential that denotes professional training to provide mental health services. She has also held licensure for substance use counseling in Nebraska and was previously licensed for substance use counseling in Kansas. Before the last 26 years spent outside residential care, she worked with clients in residential treatment settings, and since 1995 she has provided outpatient services through community-based programs.

Rita Ham has worked with individuals, couples, families, and groups across the lifespan, though she currently focuses on adults. She applies principles of cognitive behavioral therapy and trauma-informed practice while drawing from a range of evidence-based techniques considered best practices. When appropriate and with client approval, she invites members of a client’s support system to participate in the work.

Believing that a person is not defined by a diagnosis, she emphasizes life skill building alongside symptom-focused strategies. Her style is warm and interactive, grounded in respect, compassion, sensitivity, and honest collaboration. She works to develop a strong trust relationship that allows for candid work and respectful challenge as clients move toward clearly defined treatment goals. She is not currently accepting new clients.

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Care

Rita Ham commonly uses cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to help people identify and change unhelpful thinking patterns and behaviors; CBT is often helpful for anxiety, depression, mood challenges, and learning practical coping skills. Attachment-based therapy focuses on relationships and early attachment experiences to improve communication, trust, and relational patterns, which can support work on relationship strains, family dynamics, and trauma-related concerns. Client-centered therapy emphasizes the individual’s perspective and strengths, offering a supportive, empathic space where people set goals and build self-directed skills, which can be especially useful for those seeking collaborative, person-focused care.

Finding the right therapeutic approach is part of the journey. Rita Ham works collaboratively with each person to determine which combination of techniques best fits their needs, goals, and preferences, adapting methods over time as progress unfolds.

Online therapy offers flexible options through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging, making it easier to fit sessions into busy schedules, continue care during life changes, and connect in ways that match different communication styles. These formats allow licensed professionals and therapists to deliver structured treatment, skill-building work, and ongoing support in ways that are convenient and accessible.