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) 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. 

She 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 graduate student from Honduras.