Dr. Ruth R.
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
"Life is full of diving boards and other precipices, but, … making the leap is not about ignoring, fixing, fighting, or controlling fear – or anything else you might be expecting. Rather it’s about accepting and noticing all your emotions and thoughts, viewing even the most powerful of them with compassion and curiosity and then choosing courage over comfort in order to do whatever you’ve determined is the most important to you. Courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is fear of walking"
-Susan David, Ph.D
I completed my doctorate in Clinical Psychology at Palo Alto University in Palo Alto, CA, and hold a Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology from the University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis, MN, and a Bachelor of Arts from Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, MN.
I am a generalist by practice with specialized experience in Grief, Death, and Dying — including suicide bereavement — LGBTQ+, Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders, EMDR, Serious Mental Illness (SMI), and Geropsychology. I also have experience in Health Psychology and the support and management of ongoing health and medical concerns. In addition to direct client care, I provide supervision for trainees and consultation and training for both professionals and laypeople. I work with adults and offer both in-person and telehealth sessions. I am also credentialed through PSYPACT, which allows me to provide telehealth services across 42 additional jurisdictions beyond Delaware.
I take an integrative approach to psychotherapy, drawing on theory and techniques from Humanistic (Person-Centered), Psychodynamic, and Cognitive Behavioral (CBT) orientations, and incorporating EMDR, trauma-informed care, and a biopsychosocial framework. My goal is to provide a safe, empathic space that facilitates understanding and growth. It is important to me to understand each client as a whole person — not merely a sum of their parts. Our first session is about holding space for you to share what brings you to therapy, explore some of your history, and begin identifying how I can best support you in reaching your goals.
I have lived in many places throughout my life and have called Dover home since 2015. Outside of work, I share a lovingly chaotic household with my partner, two sons, three dogs, and two cats. I enjoy gardening, knitting, reading, and yoga.
Professional Affiliations
Delaware Psychological Association, Membership/Diversity and State Advocacy Committees
Postpartum Support International, Certificate Training
