About Gerard
Gerard Riconda helps people who are worn down by stress, anxiety, depression, grief, or major life changes. He works with clients who face trauma, relationship strain, career pressure, attention challenges, and compassion fatigue. Gerard is a licensed clinical social worker - LCSW - based in New York with 28 years of experience.
He trained at Fordham University School of Social Services and began his career supporting children and families involved with the foster care system.
Background and approach
He also worked as a medical social worker in a rehabilitation hospital, assisting people recovering from amputations, strokes, and head injuries. Most of Gerard's practice has focused on people who are hard to reach and who carry complex or multiple diagnoses. He uses empathy as a starting point and listens for what matters most to each person.
Gerard does not insist on a single technique for everyone. He draws on approaches such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Client-Centered Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, and EMDR when they fit a person's needs. Gerard works with clients to identify which methods feel most helpful and practical for their situation.
In sessions he aims to make things simple and actionable. Conversations explore patterns, skills, and small steps a person can try between meetings. Gerard also offers coaching-style guidance for career concerns and life direction when that is needed.
How Gerard’s Approaches Translate to Online Care
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy helps people notice unhelpful thoughts and focus on values-based action. It is often useful for stress, anxiety, and life transitions because it ties choices to what matters most. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy breaks problems into thoughts, feelings, and actions and teaches practical skills to change patterns that cause distress. It works well for anxiety, depression, and mood concerns. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing is a trauma-focused method that can reduce the intensity of upsetting memories and related distress when it fits the client’s needs.Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. Gerard will listen to what you want to change, try out techniques together, and adjust the plan based on what helps. The aim is to find a mix of strategies that feel useful and realistic for your life.
Online therapy offers flexible ways to meet. Video calls let you work face-to-face when visual cues matter. Phone sessions are useful when you need lower bandwidth or a shorter check-in. Live chat and text-based messaging allow for brief updates, coaching-style guidance, or support between sessions. These options make it easier to fit therapy around work, caregiving, and daily routines while using the approaches described above.
Frequently asked questions
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Specialties and expertise
Top specialties
- Stress, Anxiety
- Family conflicts
- Trauma and abuse
Also works with
- ADHD
- Anger management
- Antisocial personality
- Bipolar disorder
- Body image
- Career difficulties
- Co-morbidity
- Coaching
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Compassion fatigue
- Coping with life changes
- Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
- Depression
- Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)
- Emptiness
- Family problems
- First responder issues
- Grief
- Impulsivity
- Isolation / loneliness
- Life purpose
- Mood disorders
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Paranoia
- Personality disorders
- Phobias
- Post-traumatic stress
- Prejudice and discrimination
- Process addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)
- Relationship issues
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self esteem
- Self-harm
- Self-love
- Smoking / vaping cessation
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Workplace issues
Therapeutic approaches
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
- Hypnotherapy
- Mindfulness Therapy
- Psychodynamic Therapy
- Solution-Focused Therapy
- Trauma-Focused Therapy
- Internal Family Systems
- Experience
- 28 years
- Licensed
- New York
- Languages
- English