Gerard Riconda, LCSW

Gerard Riconda is a licensed clinical social worker who helps people facing stress, anxiety, grief, and shifts in mood. He listens for what matters most and focuses on practical steps people can use day to day. Gerard’s style is straightforward and empathic, aimed at making hard problems feel more manageable. Gerard trained at Fordham University School of Social Services and has 28 years of clinical experience. Early in his career he worked with families and children involved in the foster care system. He also spent time as a medical social worker in a rehabilitation hospital supporting amputees and people recovering from stroke and head injury. Much of Gerard’s work has been with clients who are hard to reach or who have complex diagnoses. He names empathy as his strongest suit and emphasizes meeting each person where they are. He avoids one-size-fits-all solutions and prefers to shape treatment around the person in front of him. Gerard uses a mix of approaches, including cognitive behavioral techniques, acceptance and commitment ideas, dialectical behavior strategies, client-centered work, and EMDR when appropriate. He and the client decide together which tools fit best for the issue at hand. This includes addressing concerns like ADHD, mood disorders, trauma, relationship stress, and everyday habits related to thoughts and behavior. Based in New York, Gerard works in English and draws on long clinical experience to help people develop coping skills, clarify life purpose, and rebuild stability after disruption. He offers coaching-style support alongside traditional therapy methods to help clients make practical changes.

How Gerard’s Approaches Work Online

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) focuses on clarifying what matters to a person and building small actions that align with those values while learning to relate differently to difficult thoughts. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) helps people notice unhelpful thinking and practice new behaviors that reduce distress and improve daily routines. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is used to process traumatic memories and reduce their emotional impact when trauma is a central issue.

Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. Gerard will talk with each person about goals and preferences, then try methods that seem most likely to help. He adjusts recommendations over time based on what is working and what the person wants to focus on.

Confirm current session options before booking, as specific formats are not listed here. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy week, shorten commute time, and allow check-ins that focus on skills practice or brief problem-solving. Some people appreciate being able to continue progress between in-person appointments, while others use online sessions for a steady weekly routine. Gerard uses his training in ACT, CBT, and EMDR to shape online sessions around practical steps the client can use in everyday life.