Levi Riven Ph.D.

Levi Riven, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist and founder of Riven Psychology, an online private practice for adults living in Ontario. Levi is passionate about helping people with OCD, anxiety disorders, PTSD, and ADHD understand themselves better and find solutions for living calm, contented, and fulfilling lives.

Levi Riven has always been deeply interested in what makes people tick. Our lives are centered around relationships. To function well requires that we understand ourselves and others in a deep way. Yet in our day-to-day interactions, we only have access to superficial information. When it comes to understanding ourselves, we are limited to the fraction of inner experience that enters the conscious mind. When it comes to understanding others, we can only access what people say and do on the surface. How can human beings navigate their (inherently social) lives effectively with such limited information?

For millennia, philosophers have attempted to guide humanity forward by theorizing about what lies underneath the surface. Some of them had good ideas, but their impacts on mental health were minimal. It was not until very recently, specifically in the late 19^th century, that we began to understand “what makes people tick” from a scientific perspective. And within one hundred years, entirely new fields of science emerged, including the field of clinical psychology, which has brought immeasurable healing and growth to so many.

It's been over 20 years since Levi Riven took his first psychology course, and his interest in the field endures as strongly as ever. Writing this blog allows him to share his enthusiasm for the topic with you. The goal is to help readers understand themselves and others with greater depth and discover strategies for leading more effective and satisfying lives. Although obsessive-compulsive disorder is the primary focus of the blog, "Demystifying OCD" will also explore neighbouring topics, be it related to other emotional disorders or human psychology more generally. If you are curious about something related to these subjects, you are encouraged to reach out to the author with suggestions for future posts.