Catherine Rivera, LMFT

Catherine Rivera is a Marriage and Family Therapist who after receiving her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at SUNY Oswego went on to earn her first Masters of Art in Teaching from Queens College. Catherine then spent the next 10 years as a NYC public school teacher. Wanting a new challenge, and to follow her own passions she enrolled in the Marriage and Family Therapy program at Hofstra University subsequently receiving her second Master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy. 

Ms. Rivera completed her internship at the Saltzman Center at Hofstra University. While completing her internship, Ms. Rivera worked with families, individuals, and couples as well as running the teen groups on confidence, mindfulness, social skill development and women’s psychological care.

After her time at the Saltzman Center, Ms. Rivera worked as a Family Specialist at the PINS diversion program at Family and Children’s Association assisting and providing counseling for youth in danger of entering the criminal justice system while continuing to council individuals, families, and couples at a private practice near her home.

Catherine has earned certificates from numerous workshops. The topics of these training’s ranging from couples working through infidelity run by the noted Esther Perel to ACT (Acceptance Commitment Therapy) implementing mindfulness and value driven therapy. Catherine also holds extensive training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Structural Family therapy, Imago, and Solution Focused therapy.

Ms. Rivera believes that people have the power to change their situation at any given time. She believes that the collaborative nature of the therapeutic relationship is one of great importance to assist in such change. At any given moment you have the power to say that this is not how the story is going to end.