Tracy Rider, LMHC

Tracy Rider is a New York licensed mental health counselor (LMHC) with ten years of professional experience supporting people through stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, anger, and challenges with self-esteem and motivation. She brings a respectful, sensitive, and compassionate presence to therapy and tailors each treatment plan to reflect a person’s unique history, strengths, and goals. Tracy emphasizes individualized care and believes that taking the first step toward greater stability and meaning takes courage; she views therapy as a collaborative process in which she walks alongside clients as they pursue growth and recovery.

Her clinical training includes EMDRIA certification as an EMDR specialist and a post-graduate degree focused on trauma and dissociation. She has additional training in clinical hypnosis through the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis and is trained in Internal Family Systems, working from a systems-oriented perspective that recognizes how change in one area affects the whole. Tracy completed an MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Regent University and holds a BA in theology from NBC, and her early volunteer work included eight years as a counseling paraprofessional with the United States Army serving veterans and their families.

Tracy also integrates life coaching skills gained through the iNLP Center, an International Coaching Federation-accredited program recognized by the National Board for Certified Counselors, to help clients clarify values and direction without offering prescriptive advice. Her clinical and personal experience—including over 30 years of marriage, parenting, and living with chronic illness—inform the steadiness and empathy she brings to sessions. She works part-time and typically responds to messages and schedules sessions on Mondays, Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons, and Thursdays, using scheduled sessions as the primary space for therapeutic work with messaging used as supportive follow-up.

Approaches for Online Healing and Growth

Tracy commonly draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and EMDR along with existential perspectives to help clients address distress in ways that fit their lives. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, focuses on identifying and shifting unhelpful thoughts and behaviors and teaching practical skills to manage anxiety, stress, and mood. EMDR is a trauma-focused approach that helps the brain reprocess distressing memories so they feel less overwhelming and intrusive; it is often used for post-traumatic stress and other trauma-related symptoms. Existential therapy explores meaning, values, and life choices, supporting people facing transitions, questions about purpose, or feelings of isolation.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic process. Tracy collaborates with each person to determine which methods align with their needs, goals, and preferences, and she adapts her work over time as those needs evolve. This collaborative stance helps clients feel involved and respected in decisions about treatment.

Online therapy offers practical flexibility for many people. Video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging allow clients to access licensed professionals from home, work around schedules, and maintain continuity of care when mobility, illness, or life demands make in-person visits difficult. These options make it easier to integrate therapy into daily life while working toward meaningful change.