AVIVA PSYCHOLOGY SERVICES

About us

promoting emotional + relational health

Who we are

We are a team of licensed psychologists with the highest level of training in the field. We welcome diverse populations and utilize empirically supported treatments to deliver individual, group, and family therapy, career counseling, and relationship and couples counseling for adults.

We believe that humans are both hurt and healed in relationships, that we all experience hardship, and that we also all have the inherent ability to heal and change. Each day offers an opportunity to start anew, and we offer a space to learn and grow through collaborative, compassionate therapeutic relationships.

Our foundation

Our integrated approach to therapy is both theory and research driven. It relies heavily on forming an honest and trusting therapeutic relationship and draws upon a combination of relational, insight-oriented, and skill-based/action-oriented therapies, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). We examine social, cultural, and systemic influences in all our therapy spaces.

We believe that a combination of insight and skill building tailored to the unique needs of each client provides a strong foundation for effective therapy.  

Our etymology

Aviva is a derivative of the Latin root “viv,” meaning “life, alive, lively.”  Aviva means to enliven, revive, and ignite. It also represents springtime, a season of renewal and opening.

Our mission

We strive to transform adversity into growth and values into action to promote greater vitality, life-satisfaction, and well-being for all.

Our values

To achieve our mission, we prioritize the following values:

01 freedom

We highlight and respect humans’ free will to make changes in their lives in accordance with their own values. We also recognize that moving towards change and increased freedom requires strength, perseverance, and hard work.

We deeply value this process.

02 health

We recognize that each human has the option to prioritize health in a busy life with competing demands.

We strive to support this priority in all that we do.

03 honesty

We believe that honesty with oneself is a precondition to health and well-being.  

We practice honesty in all our actions, and we aim to provide work and therapy conditions that invite safety-in-honesty for all.

04 inclusivity

We value difference and diversity in all forms.

We aim to create and sustain an inclusive practice, and to provide equitable and affirming services to all.

05 resilience

We believe in the inherent capability and resilience of humans to recover and grow.

This assumption underlies all our services and treatment approaches.

06 tolerance

We understand that growth and behavioral change require acceptance and tolerance of emotional discomfort. Expanding tolerance leads to expanded freedom.

We encourage this expansion.

07 values-based living

We support the translation of each human’s established values into committed action steps and behaviors.

We view this as a transformative process that results in greater vitality, clarity, security, and freedom.

A statement on inclusion

We recognize that discrimination and intolerance can lead to psychological trauma, internalized shame, and painful adaptations to oppressive systems. At the same time, we deeply value and celebrate the enormous strength and resilience that emerge in individuals when facing such hardship. We are committed to working with clients who wish to address this complex impact in their lives and hearts.  

Aviva Psychology Services is committed to creating and sustaining an environment of inclusivity and safety for all. We value difference, and we respect the full spectrum of human diversity, including race, ethnicity, gender, relationship(s) status, LGBTQIA2S+, sexual outsiders, body size, physical ability, age, socio‑economic status, national origin, and religion. We aim to contribute to a healthier and safer existence for all.  

A note on privacy + confidentiality

Aviva Psychology Services holds the privacy and confidentiality of our work as a foundational value. We view confidentiality as a precondition to a trusting therapeutic relationship and a critical component of effective psychological treatment.

All our staff members are extensively trained in HIPAA compliance and security, and we aim to ensure the confidentiality of all communications with clients, both in-person and electronically.