About Novena
Novena Riojas is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who has practiced in New York for nine years. She focuses on common struggles such as stress, anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and relationship concerns. Her approach also includes coaching around motivation and confidence.
She meets people where they are and emphasizes practical steps toward feeling better. She believes each person knows their own story and brings strengths into therapy. Sessions are collaborative and goal-oriented.
Background and approach
Novena helps clients identify small, manageable changes that add up over time. Conversations often focus on improving communication, easing social anxiety, and working through guilt or shame. She uses realistic strategies to help people respond differently to stressful situations.
Many clients come away with clearer priorities and tools they can use between sessions. Novena values steady progress and straightforward feedback. She aims to make sessions feel like a supportive, problem-solving conversation rather than a lecture.
People who want practical guidance and encouragement tend to find her style helpful. Her base in New York informs her understanding of busy lives and competing demands. She encourages anyone feeling stuck or overwhelmed to take the next step and explore whether short-term coaching or weekly therapy would fit their needs.
Practical approaches and online flexibility
Novena often uses straightforward, evidence-based techniques that focus on changing unhelpful patterns and building coping skills. One approach concentrates on recognizing and shifting thought patterns that fuel anxiety and low mood, helping people test worries against reality and try new responses. Another approach emphasizes behavioral change - creating small, manageable actions to rebuild confidence and reduce avoidance in social situations or daily tasks.Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the work. She collaborates with each person to match methods to their goals, preferences, and the problems they bring to sessions. That means trying different tools, tracking what helps, and adjusting the plan together over time.
Online therapy offers several practical benefits with this way of working. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation for skill practice and detailed check-ins. Phone sessions can fit easily into a busy day or when bandwidth is low. Live chat and text-based messaging make it possible to get brief support, check-ins, or coach-style guidance between longer sessions. These options make it easier to keep therapy consistent while balancing work, family, and other commitments.
Questions people ask
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Which languages are supported and can international clients connect?
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What this therapist works with
Most often
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Self esteem
Also listed
- Experience
- 9 years
- Licensed
- New York
- Languages
- English
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