You've built a life. You've built a career. Now it's time to build your enjoyment.
You're the person everyone counts on.
You've built your career, created a home, keep relationships happy, raised a family, maybe started businesses, and generally make things happen.
You're a builder.
But trauma doesn't care what you've accomplished.
Anxiety doesn't doublecheck your resume and PTSD doesn't respect your work ethic.
You can't enjoy the life you’ve built and its time to change that.
I'm Dahlia Rizk, Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC/LCMHC) with over 17 years experience specializing in trauma, PTSD, and anxiety.
I help you break the things that are bothering you into easy to manage chunks, then systematically make changes to improve your life so you can enjoy it.
I use evidence-based, proven therapies for people in Dunstable, Townsend, Ashby, Pelham, Merrimac, and throughout the New Hampshire and Massachusetts who are want to build resilience, heal from trauma, leave anxiety behind and reclaim peace.
Specializing in:
PTSD Treatment (including Prolonged Exposure therapy)
Trauma Recovery & Healing
Anxiety & Panic Disorders
Solution-Focused Brief Therapy
High-Functioning Anxiety
Work-Related Trauma & Burnout
Serving: Dunstable MA, Townsend MA, Ashby MA, Pelham NH, Merrimac MA, Lawrence MA, and the greater Merrimack Valley area
Dahlia Rizk, LCMHC, LMHC, MA
I understand you
I'm not just a therapist who works with builders - I am a builder too.
I've built two companies from scratch that have been featured on Forbes, Shark Tank, and CBS News. I serve on the Tory Burch Foundation’s Presidential Advisory Board.
More importantly I work with and help people who build things feel better and enjoy their lives:
You don't have to explain the pressure of feeling responsible for everything, the loneliness of being the one who has to figure it out, or the exhaustion of always being "on."
Evidence-based, Efficient, Effective
After 17 years as a licensed, professional therapist - I've learned what works:
I know you don't have time for years of therapy that goes nowhere or psychobabble thats confusing.
You need strategies that work in a clear, easy to understand way..
That's why I specialize in two approaches proven to create measurable change fast:
Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT)
This isn't "let's explore your feelings for years" therapy.
Solutions Focus Therapy is built for people who think strategically.
We identify what's already working, clarify where you want to be, and build a concrete path (goals) to get there.
Think of it as reverse-engineering the life you actually want.
Solution Focused Therapy is perfect for: Relationship issues, anxiety, communication issues, feeling stuck, overwhelmed, work-life imbalance, leadership challenges, and an inability to be present in your day to day life.
Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE)
Prolonged Exposure is the most effective treatment for processing experiences that you can’t shake and still bother you from professional failures, high-pressure situations that left feelings of dread or shame, or personal traumas you've pushed aside to keep performing.
PE helps you understand and move past what you've been avoiding so it stops showing up in your ability to enjoy the life you have built.
Prolonged Exposure is perfect for:
Past trauma, and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Both Solution Focused and Prolonged Exposure are approaches are evidence-based, time-efficient, proven therapies designed for results.
We Meet on Your Schedule:
This is concierge counseling. There are no months long waitlists or multiple calls to receptionist after receptionist just to get an appointment. If something's weighing on you I personally get you scheduled and seen so we can address your concerns now.
First 15-Minute Free Consultation: We'll determine if we're a good fit and which approach makes sense for what you're dealing with.
Solution-Focused Brief Therapy: If you're dealing with relationship issues, feeling stuck, anxious, or struggling to turn off your work brain, SFBT helps you build solutions quickly. Most clients see change in session one and meaningful progress in 8-12 sessions.
Prolonged Exposure Therapy: If past experiences like trauma, professional failures, or high stress situations are still affecting you, PE systematically helps you process them. Treatment typically takes 8-15 sessions, and you'll notice the weight lifting progressively.
I'm direct. I'm results-focused. I won't waste your time. And if I'm not the right fit for your needs, I'll tell you.
Privacy Protection:
I meet with you through virtual sessions that are secure, HIPAA-compliant, and completely private and confidential.
Confidentiality:
I do not take insurance. No insurance means no diagnosis codes, no treatment records or information shared with third parties. No explanations to anyone means not your board, not your partners, not anyone. What we discuss stays between us. Period.
Payment & Insurance Reimbursement:
Payment is due at time of service. I accept all major credit cards, HSA, and FSA.
While I don't bill insurance directly to protect your confidentiality, I provide detailed receipts (superbills) that you can submit to your insurance for out-of-network reimbursement.
Many clients with PPO plans receive 50-80% reimbursement. I'll provide everything you need to maximize your insurance reimbursement while maintaining complete control over your privacy.
Sessions available early morning, early evenings and some weekends because I know your Tuesday at 2pm isn't free.
WORKING TOGETHER:
FAQs
Are meetings confidiential?
Yes. What we discuss stays between us. I'm a private pay therapist who doesn't work with insurance companies, which means no third parties have access to your information. No diagnosis codes and no treatment records shared with anyone.
Whether you need discreet therapy for professional reasons or simply value your privacy, the structure of my practice ensures complete confidentiality.
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Why dont you take insurance?
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To bill insurance, I'd need to provide a diagnosis, submit treatment records, and share details of our work with a third party. While insurance should reimburse with only your diagnosis they now frequently demand the entire record which is uploaded into their system. Not taking insurance is how I ensure your confidentiality.
I provide detailed receipts (superbills) that many clients submit to their insurance companies for out-of-network reimbursement.
You handle the submission yourself, which means you control what information is shared with your insurance and maintain more privacy than direct insurance billing.
Many PPO plans and HSA/FSA accounts will reimburse 50-80% of session costs when you submit out-of-network claims. I'll provide everything you need to maximize your reimbursement.
What therapy approaches do you use?
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I specialize in two evidence-based methods that work particularly well for executives and high performers:
Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) Goal-oriented therapy focused on building solutions. It's efficient, strategic, and perfect for people who think in terms of outcomes. We identify what's working and expand it.
Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE) The gold-standard treatment for processing trauma and difficult experiences. If something from your past still affects your decisions, relationships, or peace of mind, PE helps you face it systematically so it loses its power over you.
Both approaches are evidence-based, time-limited, and designed to create measurable change.
Explaining everything sounds overwhelming - I don’t know where to start.
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We start with whatever is most pressing on your mind. Together we work on exploring and understanding each part of whats on your mind and focus on solutions. With patience and strategy whats on your mind will not seem as overwhelming and will feel easy to tackle and address.
Shouldn’t I already be happy - I have “everything”
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Your feelings are important. They are an indicator that parts of your life need attention in order for you to enjoy what you have.
I feel lonely, I can't turn off my brain, and my relationships feel disconnected. Can therapy help with these issues?
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The loneliness and stress of leadership is completely normal and is a predictable outcome of the role you're in.
You've trained yourself to constantly optimize, strategize, and perform. That skill built what you have, but it's preventing you from being present. We work on developing the ability to shift gears without losing your edge.
Here's what most people don't realize: when you can actually be present, your decision-making improves.
You read people better. You see opportunities you were too burnt out to notice. Rest isn't the opposite of performance. It enables it.
Relationship friction often stems from power dynamics, difficulty trusting people's motives, and the challenge of being vulnerable when you're used to being in control.
Better relationships don't just improve your personal life. They improve your ability to build teams, read rooms, and lead effectively. The skills that help you connect authentically with your partner and family members are the same ones that make you a better leader.
How long does therapy take?
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Unlike traditional psychotherapy that can take years, both of my approaches are designed to be efficient:
Solution-Focused Brief Therapy: Most clients see significant progress in 8-12 sessions. Some issues resolve faster, some take longer, but we're always working toward concrete goals with measurable progress.
Prolonged Exposure Therapy: Typically 8-15 sessions for processing specific traumas or difficult experiences. You'll notice improvements progressively better sleep, less avoidance and reactivity, more mental clarity.
Your time is valuable. We'll be strategic about using it.
What's the difference between therapy and executive coaching?
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Executive coaches help you optimize performance and achieve goals.
They're excellent for strategy, leadership skills, and professional development.
Therapy addresses the internal barriers preventing you from enjoying what you've built. Unlike coaching, I'm trained to address the deeper psychological patterns that coaching can't touch.
If you're not sure which you need, that's what our 15-minute consultation is for.
Do you have immediate availability with flexible scheduling? I travel constantly and need evening or weekend sessions?
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This is concierge counseling.
I hold availability for my clients.
First consultations are typically within 1 business day so you can start when you're ready, not when a schedule opens up.
I offer evening therapy appointments and weekend sessions because I know your Tuesday at 2pm isn't available.
Flexible scheduling is essential for demanding schedules, and I understand that.