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Joseph Rifici (He/Him)

Therapist profile

Joseph Rifici (He/Him), LPCC

Ohio

Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor - Relationship and family concerns

Continue with Joseph

About

  • CBT methods
  • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
  • Motivational interviewing

About Joseph

Joseph Rifici is an Ohio LPCC - Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor with 14 years of clinical experience. He works with adults facing stress, anxiety, addictions, anger, depression, grief, trauma and abuse, and relationship and family concerns. He also addresses issues such as ADHD, bipolar mood concerns, intimacy-related problems, low self-esteem, sleep difficulties, and compassion fatigue.

Rifici began his counseling career after earning a Master of Arts in Education for Community Counseling from the University of Akron in 2009. Early work at a residential addiction treatment center in Akron included individual therapy, group work, brief family sessions, crisis intervention, and case management for adult men with co-occurring disorders. He later moved into clinical leadership and supervised treatment teams while coordinating admissions and discharges.

Over time he has added work in private organizations providing treatment for a broad range of adult mental health issues. His background includes training in trauma-informed care, motivational interviewing, and advanced Cognitive Behavioral Therapy through the Beck Institute. He commonly draws on CBT alongside approaches that emphasize values and acceptance and that focus on the person’s experience.

In sessions he aims to be straightforward and practical. He helps people identify patterns that cause pain and tries out skills that reduce distress. Conversations often cover communication problems, codependency and commitment issues, infidelity, family of origin problems, and coping with life changes.

Outside of work he lives in Ohio and spends time reading, listening to music, hiking, visiting with family and friends, and caring for his cat Charlie.

How sessions work

How Joseph integrates therapeutic approaches online

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) focuses on identifying personal values and taking small actions that match those values. It helps people stuck by avoidance or uncertainty learn how to act toward what matters despite difficult feelings.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) works by naming unhelpful thoughts and testing them with practical experiments. It is often used for anxiety, depression, sleep problems, and patterns that feed anger or addiction.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) offers concrete skills for managing strong emotions, improving distress tolerance, and strengthening interpersonal effectiveness. It can be useful when impulsivity or intense mood swings make everyday life harder.

Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will discuss goals, preferences, and what feels useful, then adjust methods as needed. Clients and the therapist decide together which strategies to try first and how to measure progress.

Confirm current session format options before booking. The practical advantages of working with a licensed professional online include fitting sessions into a busy day, shorter check-ins when needed, and choosing quieter surroundings or lower-bandwidth options when video is difficult. These factors can make it easier to keep therapy consistent alongside work, parenting, and daily life.

Areas of focus

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Also works with

LGBTRelationship issuesFamily conflictsTrauma and abuseGriefIntimacy-related issuesSleeping disordersSelf esteemBipolar disorderCompassion fatigueADHD

Additional focus areas

CodependencyCommitment issuesCommunication problemsControl issuesDivorce and separationDrug and alcohol addictionEmptinessFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsForgivenessGuilt and shameImpulsivityInfidelityIsolation / lonelinessLife purposeMen's issuesObsessions, compulsions, and OCDPost-traumatic stressProcess addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Self-loveSexualitySocial anxiety and phobia

Therapeutic approaches

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)Client-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)Existential TherapyMindfulness TherapyMotivational InterviewingSolution-Focused Therapy

Experience

14+ years

Listed in

Ohio

Languages

English

Questions

Frequently asked questions

What kinds of concerns does he address?

He works with adults on stress, anxiety, addictions, anger, depression, trauma and family or relationship concerns, plus ADHD and mood issues.

What is his style in sessions?

He uses straightforward, practical conversations and skill practice, often drawing from Cognitive Behavioral approaches and acceptance-based methods.

How much clinical experience does he have?

He has 14 years of professional experience, including work in residential addiction treatment and clinical leadership roles.

What are his credentials and where is he based?

He is an Ohio LPCC and practices in Ohio.

Which languages are sessions offered in?

Sessions are offered in English.

Can international clients work with him?

He does not accept international clients at this time.

How does payment and cost work?

Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.

How do I begin scheduling a session?

Select the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.

Details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. A license can be checked with the state board.

Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If anyone is in danger, use the crisis numbers.

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Joseph Rifici (He/Him)

Continue with Joseph