Riley Harman,MA, LMHCA
About Me
Hey—I’m Riley! I’m a teen therapist in Indianapolis who’s caring, bubbly, passionate, and somewhat nerdy.On a week night, you can usually find me working on a puzzle, playing a game of Bananagrams, or watching reruns of my favorite tv shows! I’ve always loved to read and that definitely helped shape the way I consume diverse media and expand my perspective in many situations.
My approach to therapy is warm and with genuine curiosity. I work to build trust through conversation, shared humor, and space for reflection. Therapy should feel supportive, not pressured—like a place where teens can take a breath and sort out what’s really going on beneath the surface.
My Specialties
Anxiety
ADHD & SCHOOL STRESS
Depression & Suicidiality
including self harm
Family ISSUES
including divorce, separation, and non-traditional family structures
Self Esteem & Confidence
Trauma
A ‘Lil Bit More Info
AGES SEEN
Riley enjoys ages 8 to early 20s. She most enjoys working with teens and young adults. She finds her calming presence tends to make her a great teen therapist as she meets clients with curiosity and care, helping them feel understood and less alone. Riley also enjoys working with younger clients every once in a while too as they just bring a different and often more playful vibe to the session!
Many of her clients are facing anxiety, depression, self-harm urges, or trouble managing big emotions. She also helps clients who are dealing with family changes, school pressure, or feeling stuck in unhelpful patterns.Riley uses emotion-focused therapy and parts-based approaches to help teens make sense of their inner world and learn better ways to cope. Her sessions are a mix of reflection, skill-building, and gentle challenge, all built on a foundation of trust and connection.
PHILOSOPHY
Riley tries to help teens and their families reach lasting change by getting to the root cause of their presenting concern and working together to either alleviate the problem or make meaningful changes to the environment. She enjoys helping kids find their own voice and the confidence to communicate their needs, while also creating space to explore autonomy and identity.
Riley knows (and research supports) that parents have an influential and important role in their children’s mental health as parents are often the first line of support for their children. This is why, Riley values collaboration with caregivers and works to ensure that progress made in session is supported at home through modeling, emotional regulation, and skill-building. Her goal is to help families feel more connected and equipped to navigate challenges together.
Who is your favorite Superhero?
My favorite superhero is Spiderman, because he is always looking out for members of his community. He cares so deeply about others and doing the right thing, even when it’s hard.
What is a quote, motto, or saying, that has meaning to you personally?
“Make no judgements where you have no compassion”
Anne McCaffery
If you could give parents one piece of advice, what would it be?
It is also your first time being a human/parent! Sometimes it can be easy to forget that parents are also living life for the first time and will undoubtedly make mistakes or need help along the way. It’s the human experience.
This is my child’s first time seeing a therapist and she looks forward to her 1:1 time with Riley and has come home with tangible tasks and reminders of her goals.
Riley is amazing and has made my child feel positive about therapy, which she was always previously against
Riley has done a wonderful job developing the therapeutic relationship with our child. He is super comfortable with her and that is clearly Riley’s greatest strength in her role.
Blog Post
When Teens Say ‘I’m Fine’: How to Talk to Your Teen
When Teens Say ‘I’m Fine’: How to Talk to Your Teen By: Riley Harman, MA, LMHCA We’ve all heard it before, the notorious “I’m fine,” sometimes whispered, occasionally with a terse nod, or maybe even a level of exasperation. This can be especially…
ADHD Isn’t Laziness: How to Help Your Teen
ADHD Isn’t Laziness: How to Help Your Teen By: Riley Harman, MA, LMHCA Does your teen struggle to start homework? Do they get distracted half way through an assignment? Maybe they do the assignment but then forget to turn it in? They may even forget that they had an…
Education & Experience
Riley is an Associate Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHCA) earned her undergraduate degree in Psychology with a minor in Educational Studies from Indiana University. She earn her master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Ball State University. Projects that stand out to her include research on LGBTQ+ counseling and trauma informed emotion focused therapy. Riley’s completed additional training in Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT) and Internal Family Systems (IFS), and I’m always continuing to learn and grow as a clinician.
Bachelors Of Science in PSYCHOLOGY
minor in educational Studies from Indiana University
MASTERS OF ART IN CLINICAL MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING
from Ball State
Additional Training
Internal Family Systems (IFS) and Emotion- Focused Therapy (EFT), Sucide Assessment & Prevention, ADHD Assessment and Treatment; will complete ERP For OCD training