Alison Rivers

Dr. Alison Rivers is a licensed clinical psychologist who specializes in using cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to address a variety of disorders, symptoms, and complicating factors that arise from stressful experiences. Dr. Rivers received her Bachelor’s degree from Fairfield University, and her Master’s and Doctoral degrees from the University at Albany, State University of New York (SUNY).

Dr. Rivers has provided evaluation and assessment services and therapy in individual, couple, family, and group formats across a wide variety of settings for individuals with diverse backgrounds and presenting problems. Prior to graduate school, she worked for the Yale University School of Medicine and the VA Connecticut Healthcare System, gaining experience in trauma research. During graduate school, she conducted research on ways that traumatic experiences affect the body and ways that chronic illnesses are experienced like traumas and impact relationships, mental health, and more. Dr. Rivers uses her research experience to bring advanced knowledge to her clinical practice.

Dr. Rivers uses CBT and other evidence based treatments to address anxiety disorders, mood disorders, PTSD, and other complicating factors that arise from stress, including relationship and family conflict, transitions into college and young adulthood, gender and sexuality identities, trauma, and chronic illnesses. Dr. Rivers builds collaborative, genuine, and warm working relationships with her clients and their families, helping individuals apply what they learn to their lives outside of the therapy room for long-term well-being.

Dr. Rivers trained and then supervised at a community mental health clinic providing evidence based treatment across the lifespan and trained at a specialized school for youth with behavioral problems. Dr. Rivers also trained at Albany Medical Center where she provided assessment and treatment for children in the Behavioral Pediatrics Clinic and helped to pilot a new Comprehensive Headache Clinic where she worked directly alongside a neurologist to treat headaches in children and adolescents. Dr. Rivers continued her training on the Behavioral Pediatrics Team at Children’s Hospital at Montefiore where she provided assessment and treatment to children, teenagers, and young adults with a variety of medical illnesses. Dr. Rivers then completed her Predoctoral Internship at the Mount Sinai Adolescent Health Center where she worked with a team of medical and mental health providers to treat youth who experienced significant and multiple forms of trauma and, in the Transgender Health Services Program, youth who were questioning their gender identities and/or sexuality.

After earning her Doctoral degree, Dr. Rivers continued her specialized focus, treating college students with a multitude of mental health concerns, helping students prepare to graduate, and focusing on students who experienced interpersonal violence including sexual assault. Dr. Rivers has also taught undergraduate students as an Adjunct Professor at the University at Albany SUNY and St. Francis College and currently teaches as an Adjunct Professor at Fordham University.