Dr. Riz Ahmad is a Licensed Psychologist in Pennsylvania. He earned his Doctoral degree at the Institute for Graduate Clinical Psychology at Widener University in Chester, PA. He completed his postdoctoral residency at the Center for Integrated Behavioral Health, where he received in-depth training in cognitive-behavioral therapies (CBT).
Dr. Ahmad has previous training in behavioral health facilities throughout the Philadelphia area. He conducted neuropsychological testing with adults at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and was a therapist at the Mercy Fitzgerald Wellness Clinic and Child Guidance Resource Centers. In addition, he received training in Behavioral Parent Training (BPT) and family therapy interventions at the Widener Child Therapy clinic during his pre-doctoral internship. At the clinic, he completed a dissertation piloting an enhancement to BPT that incorporated the inclusion of mindfulness skills and increased parental support. Dr. Ahmad has attended multiple trainings in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and in mindfulness practices.
Dr. Ahmad specializes in working with adolescents (ages 12+) and adults of all ages, with expertise in the application of CBT for individuals struggling with a variety of mood, anxiety, and behavioral concerns. When working with adolescents, Dr. Ahmad regularly collaborates with schools, physicians, and others in the community who play major roles in their care. He is also a member of the CIBH Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) team, designed for teens (and families of teens) struggling with multiple difficulties related to managing intense emotions. As a member, he provides both individual DBT therapy and facilitates adolescent DBT groups.
As clinical director, Dr. Ahmad is involved with supporting and training early career clinicians including doctoral externs, professional counselors, and psychology residents. He teaches a 48-week skills training class and provides individual supervision for clinicians.
As a therapist, Dr. Ahmad believes in engaging collaboratively and openly with people to understand difficulties and work towards change and effective coping. His approach is nonjudgmental, active, and encouraging. The emphasis is on doing what works (using evidence-based practices), with the attainment of real life goals as being the ultimate measure of successful therapy.