My Story

My passion for supporting women’s mental health began over two decades ago when I was diagnosed with depression at age 16. At the time, I couldn't even tell you what that meant. I was put on medication and never stepped foot into therapy. I didn't even know that was an option. A high-achiever, perfectionist and people-pleaser to my core, I weathered late high school and early college putting on a face for everyone around me, while a cloud of fatigue, grief, and sadness constantly hung over my head.

Fast forward 7 years. I am a newlywed and recent college graduate, with little to no direction for my future. (Insert feelings of failure and high anxiety that I would never amount to anything.) With the cloud still hanging over me, I sought therapy for the first time. I struggled to connect with my therapist's approach, often feeling defeated, confused, and heartbroken, wondering if I was failing at what was supposed to be the "happiest" time of my life. Sound familiar?

Years later, I would go on to have my dream job living abroad, doing the work I was confident that I was made to do. During that time, I received training in trauma-informed care and my eyes were opened to the world of mental and emotional health for the first time. I saw with a fresh persepctive the impact of traumatic experiences on strong, intelligent women trying to hold together their jobs, families, and communities—all while having little to no support.

I needed to be a part of the solution.

Upon returning to the states in 2017, I applied for graduate school to become a therapist and began the slow, enduring work of my own healing in therapy. I soon learned how helpful it was to feel seen, heard, and safe. To talk and work through my years of low self-esteem, depression, and anxiety with another woman willing to go into the dark, difficult places of life to help me move forward. And I became determined to help women like me find their way out of similar challenges.

In early 2021, as the pandemic raged on and I was finishing graduate school, my mom passed away. The bottom fell out of my world. I felt lost. And despite my husband, family, and friends' best efforts, I felt alone and isolated by grief as I tried to make sense of this catastrophic trauma. Since that time, I have walked through the heartbreak a 3-year journey of infertility and a higher risk pregnancy as a woman of Advanced Maternal Age.

As I continue to process the impact of these losses, challenges, and hurts, I'm adding to my growing resolve to come alongside women in their fears, their hurt, their catastrophes, and to make sure no one felt the way I once did. I started Emily Riggs Therapy and Wellness to meet women, like me, where they are, to sit with them in their struggles, and to let them know they’re not alone in their hope for healing. Along the way, I’ve garnered great clinical expertise and professional experience to create a career on my terms, specialize in care for women, and to provide new avenues for treatment.

As a woman, mother, and therapist, I know firsthand the depths of trauma and grief. I know what it’s like to feel alone in in the midst of profound personal turmoil and confusion. I've dedicated my training, resources, and life to hold space for women when life inevitably falls apart. Together, we'll push against loneliness, bring calm to chaos, and take the next steps in in your healing.

As a licensed therapist, I specialize in women’s issues related to trauma, grief, and life transitions, including maternal mental health, infertility, and birth trauma.

I personalize each client’s experience to ensure the best, most appropriate care using therapies such as Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy; Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT); and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). I’m also a registered yoga teacher, which has equipped me to integrate somatic (body-based) practices to help clients become more aware of their bodies, emotions, and experiences. This increased awareness helps clients manage stress, feel emotion, process trauma, and challenge themselves to grow, change, and flourish.

Qualifications & Credentials:

Masters in Social Work, Clinical Mental Health concentration, The Ohio State University

Licensed Independent Social Worker (State of Ohio I.2304636)

Social Work Supervisory Designation (State of Ohio I.2304636-SUPV)

Licensed Clinical Social Worker (State of Colorado CSW.09931620)

Licensed Clinical Social Worker (State of Florida SW24900)

Certified EMDR Therapist (EMDR International Association)

Perinatal Mental Health Certified Practitioner, PMH-C (Postpartum Support International)

Registered Yoga Teacher, 200 hour (Yoga Alliance)

Since finding a therapist is a little like dating, here are a some fast facts about me:

In my free time, I love spending time my husband, Ben, our daughter, and our dog, Lewie. I'm a lifelong Grey's Anatomy fan and will never turn down watching an episode of Friends. I enjoy cooking and eating anything gluten-free and dairy-free, but am terrible at baking and crafting. I'm a cheerleader for women embracing who they are as they age, especially those glorious grey hairs and smile lines. I love spending time with my friends and my family, but am an introvert through and through. Blake Lively is my celebrity bestie (and some say doppleganger). I'm unapologetically an elder millennial. I can hang with the Swifties and N*Sync fangirls, but to be honest, I would pay all the dollars to see Brandi Carlisle perform live (especially at Red Rocks!). I'm learning to not apologize when it's not warranted, to find awe in the beauty of the world, and to embrace both the joys and challenges my current season of life.