It is a human thing to be resilient.

Rita M. Rivera, MS, CTP, is a clinical psychology resident at Duke University and is pursuing a Psy.D. with a concentration in neuropsychology at Albizu University. She is a Certified Trauma Professional by the International Association of Trauma Professionals (IATP) and a Certified Crisis Worker by the American Association of Suicidology (AAS).  

Rita is the Chair of the American Academy of Clinical Psychology-Division of Graduate Students (AACP-DGS), Student Representative for the APA’s Society of Group Psychology and Group Psychotherapy (Div. 49), President of the Global Student Psychology Committee (GSPC), and Past Chair of the Florida Psychological Association of Graduate Students (FPAGS). Rita is also Co-chair of several working groups of the APA’s Interdivisional COVID-19 Taskforce, including the Higher Education working group, and a member of the student committees of the Hispanic Neuropsychological Society and the National Latinx Psychological Association. 

Rita is a writer for APA’s Society of Counseling Psychology (Div. 17)-SCP Connect Team and her Psychology Today blog, “Physio & Psych.” Her areas of interest include fields that explore the relationship between physiology and mental health, particularly among minority and underserved populations. Rita has clinical experience working with Hispanic/Latinx, trauma, and high-risk populations both in the United States and in her home country. She is a proud international, first-generation Latina/Hispanic student from Honduras.