Ryssa Fleischer, MA, AMFT

Meet Ryssa

(she, her, hers)

Ryssa Fleischer, AMFT, is an associate marriage and family therapist with a special interest in trauma. Her extensive work and development in the field of domestic violence has given her a bird’s eye view into the importance of interpersonal and intimate partner relationships and their ability to determine one’s sense of connection, fulfillment, and healthy adjustment. Relationships with others are the bedrock for an individual’s sense of self, and can have beneficial or detrimental impact. As a domestic violence peer counselor, she has collaborated with community mental health agencies and local police departments to implement a mindful practice toward the education and elevation of awareness of deaf mental health. Her advocacy efforts include counseling deaf survivors of domestic violence, sexual trauma, and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). 

You will be provided with the necessary tools to facilitate a better understanding of yourself as an individual, as well as added insight into how you relate to others. Ryssa's approach recognizes the importance of introspective work, where self-understanding is pivotal toward arriving at healthy adjustment within oneself and across relationships whether they are with family members, co-workers, partners, or friends. She is here to fill her dual role as both a companion and support system for your journey to self-actualization as you hone your resilience skills and respond to life’s challenges. She has plentiful experience working with those who have been impacted by domestic/sexual violence, bullying, unhealthy relationships, family conflicts, toxic workplaces, relationship difficulties/separation/break-ups, fading relationship ties, friendship difficulties and marriage issues. 

With her training and practice from a family systems' framework, Ryssa has developed an approach that is all-encompassing and considers the overall lived experiences and mental health of each client as a whole. She acknowledges the impactful experiences we undergo across friendships, family, work and school, and the power they have to shape how we think, feel, and act. Life’s challenges can mold our sense of self, and even go so far as to foster feelings of shame and render a sense of feeling unworthy, misunderstood, or judged. Ryssa understands that the ways in which life “whittles us away” can surface in individual development as well as in our relationships with others. As a clinician, her warm, nonjudgmental, and compassionate nature is evident in the way she cultivates a therapeutic relationship with each client, providing a safe space to explore and process their thoughts and experiences. Her mission is to work towards filling the gaps in deaf mental health, where sources of emotional and psychological support are scarce and sorely needed. It is her goal to facilitate your mental health journey through avenues that are safe, knowledgeable, and understanding of the experiences of Deaf and hard of hearing individuals. 

Ryssa is a fifth-generation Deaf person and fluent in American Sign Language. She goes by the pronouns: she/her/hers.