Riesa Minakan, LCSW, an adolescent addiction specialist, recently opened her practice in Ridgefield. With more than 15 years of experience in the psychotherapy field—including
extensive clinical experience—Minakan utilizes cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to treat issues such as low self-esteem, depression and anxiety. She also incorporates dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) skills into treatment. This approach is particularly effective with teenagers and middle-schoolers suffering with eating disorders, self-harm, addiction, depression and anxiety.

“I provide a loving and caring therapeutic environment,” she says. “I recognize that people need both a seasoned professional and a caring, compassionate person on their side. It takes a certain kind of person to connect with middle-school children and teenagers.”

Minakan is also trained in multidimensional family therapy (MDFT), a treatment that she says works well for healing relationships between family members by increasing the communication within the family dynamic. She uses this therapy often with issues of addiction.  

She is also trained to practice eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, which has proven very effective in dealing with trauma.

“Many times, parents have told me they’ve taken their child to multiple therapists, but their child couldn’t connect with any of them," Minakan says. "In therapy, children need transparency and demonstrated caring; this is how I encourage connection and growth with them." 

For more information, call 203-391-8578. Location: 100B Danbury Rd, Ste 202, Ridgefield.