Meghan Riordan, Ed.S., LPC

Advanced Therapeutic Solutions for Anxiety

Meghan Riordan is a Licensed Professional Counselor and holds a master’s education specialist degree (Ed.S.) in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (CMHC) from Loyola University Chicago. Meghan works with children and adolescents, young adults, and parents coping with anxiety. She provides evidence-based treatments including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), parent-child interaction therapy adapted for selective mutism (PCIT-SM), exposure therapy, parent coaching, and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). Meghan has worked in the field of selective mutism for the last several years. In 2021, Meghan completed selective mutism intervention training through ATSA’s Adventure Camp Counselor Training program and served as a co-facilitator for our Courage Club group therapies for children with selective mutism and social anxiety. In 2022 to 2023, completed her clinical internship at ATSA providing outpatient and intensive services in both individual and group therapies. Currently, Meghan provides outpatient services at Advanced Therapeutic Solutions for Anxiety, providing exposure-based services in the clinic, school, and community settings, as well as teacher training, and also serves as supervisor and classroom facilitator at ATSA’s Adventure Camp Intensive Treatment for Selective Mutism program. Meghan also provides intensive therapy for those traveling from a distance or needing a larger dose of exposure therapy to address the anxiety symptoms.

Meghan’s approach to selective mutism treatment begins with a diagnostic interview with the caregiver(s) to gather history, symptoms, and current functioning. Meghan then conducts a parent-child observation session, where baseline data and levels of mutism are assessed. Following the observation, review of questionnaires, the diagnostic interview, and any information provided by the school, Meghan delivers a treatment plan that is discussed in the parent intake feedback session. During this session, Meghan outlines the treatment plan that involves working through hierarchical steps of exposure from 1:1 therapy to group therapy, as well as transitioning to school and community settings to foster generalization of speaking across these settings.

Meghan’s interest in providing mental health services to children and adolescents stems from a history of working with kids dating back to her college years at Butler University. While there, Meghan volunteered at the Indiana School for the Blind and Vision Impaired, interacting with adolescents through stimulating sensory activities and games to increase their confidence and curiosity. Also, as a long-standing volleyball coach for children and adolescents, and an athlete herself throughout college, Meghan understands the pressures and anxieties that come with sports performance, which also contributed to her interest in mental health. In addition to her role at ATSA, Meghan continues her role as a Girls Volleyball Coach at MOD Volleyball Club where she educates children ages 9-18 on volleyball skills, the importance of teamwork, and ways to set and achieve performance goals. Meghan has participated in previous research covering the effects of a student’s confidence on their performance, based on their perceptions of the task, which also solidified her interest in cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). At ATSA, Meghan offers individual therapy and group therapy using acceptance-based and cognitive-behavioral therapies to children, adolescents, and adults coping with anxiety and related conditions.