Claudia Rivas
Hello, and thank you for reading my bio. I'm Claudia Rivas, LCSW — licensed clinical social worker, clinical supervisor, and somatic therapist dedicated to deep, intersectional healing. When you're living with intense or long-standing PTSD, traditional talk therapy can feel like it only scratches the surface — because healing requires addressing how trauma lives in the nervous system, not just in your story. In my practice, I blend the body-centered approach of Somatic Experiencing with practical, grounding tools from talk therapy, including CBT, DBT, and solution-focused interventions.
My therapeutic approach is rooted in creating a safe, supportive space where clients can explore, heal, and resolve their concerns through trauma-informed care and a strong racial justice lens.
First session
Our initial session is a collaborative space to explore your history and therapeutic goals without re-triggering your system. We prioritize building a firm foundation of trust and rapport so that future trauma processing feels entirely safe. You have total autonomy to pace our conversation and ask questions about my work. My focus is to hold a secure container where you can unpack disenfranchised or systemic stress, gain immediate grounding tools, and leave empowered with an increased capacity to navigate complex life challenges.
Strengths
I show up as an active partner, not a passive listener. My clinical framework is shaped by over 20 years of direct care and clinical supervision in county and community mental health — work with severely mentally ill and disenfranchised populations that gave me a precise understanding of systemic trauma, chronic depletion, and burnout. I go beyond "trauma-informed" care, and you can count on me for thoughtful insights, nervous system regulation tools, and steady support strong enough to hold your heaviest days without judgment.
Ideal clients
I have over 20 years of experience working with various ethnicities, gender identities and sexual orientations. I provide services in English and Spanish, and sometimes Spanglish. My ideal client is someone who is interested and ready to learn about themselves and can feel comfortable in the discomfort. Someone who is open to learning how to connect with themselves via different facets, such as sensation, emotion, meaning, or something else.
Treatment methods
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
I have completed CBT training and have 15 years of implementing CBT interventions into therapy sessions. I also take on-going trainings in CBT to continue my education and knowledge in this framework.
Somatic
I completed a three-year training program in Somatic Experiencing® and have integrated this framework into my therapeutic practice for the past nine years. To ensure my practice remains informed by the latest developments, I actively engage in ongoing somatic training and regularly receive Somatic Experiencing® sessions to deepen my knowledge and clinical expertise.
EMDR
I am recently trained in EMDR and continue to participate in consultations to deepen my understanding.
Location
Virtual sessions
Identifies as
Top specialties
Other specialties
Serves
Licensed in
- CaliforniaLicense 75163