Nicole Ritonja, RP

I am a Registered Psychotherapist who has a passion for working with clients dealing with a variety of mental health difficulties and symptoms. My practice focuses on helping individuals navigate and manage difficulties with stress, anxiety/panic, trauma, attachment injuries, intergenerational trauma, and somatic symptoms, including medically unexplained symptoms. I also have a specific interest in helping clients cope with the difficulties they are experiencing post-impairment and diagnosis for a variety of chronic illnesses and conditions, including those with neurological impairments (i.e., concussions, MS, strokes etc.). This includes a special interest in working with Functional Neurological Disorder, Functional Movement Disorder, and Somatic Symptom Disorder.

My approach focuses on using therapies such as Somatic Experiencing (SE), Emotionally Focused Individual Therapy (EFIT Level 2), Integral Somatic Psychology, interpersonal therapy, polyvagal theory, and other body-based/mindfulness interventions to help the client overcome barriers that may be preventing them from reaching their full potential. My approach focuses on using body-based approaches to promote regulation and resilience in the nervous system as well as exploring the emotions (especially negative emotions) that show up for us. This approach strives to help the client better understand how these emotions often are integral to our daily functioning and are necessary to us living happy, healthy and meaningful lives.

In addition to traditional talk therapy, I also offer Equine and Animal-Assisted psychotherapy sessions at Ashfield Farm in Ashton. This experiential, nervous-system-informed approach integrates therapeutic work with horses and other animals to support emotional regulation, self-awareness, connection, and healing in a calm, nature-based environment. I integrate this work with my existing somatic, trauma-informed, and attachment-focused approach to psychotherapy, offering clients an additional therapeutic option alongside in-office and virtual sessions.

Clients of Nicole Ritonja Psychotherapy Services also have access to evaluation and medical monitoring with a psychiatrist with no wait times through her affiliation with Psychotherapy Matters as and needed.