Riaz Counseling, Pllc

What Riaz Counseling, Pllc does

Riaz Counseling, Pllc is a privately held, clinician-owned mental health counseling practice incorporated in Texas, operating from three physical offices in the Houston metropolitan area (Galleria, Sugar Land, and The Woodlands) and delivering HIPAA-compliant telehealth sessions statewide across Texas. The firm employs 25 or more therapists spanning multiple licensure tiers — fully licensed LPCs/LCSWs/LMFTs, LPC-Associates and LMSWs, and clinical interns — under the supervision of Dr. Manahil Riaz (LPC-Supervisor) and Gary Harrel (LCSW-Supervisor). Its service portfolio centers on individual, couples, and family therapy, supplemented by specialized clinical offerings in EMDR, depression and anxiety, anger management, teen and parenting support, life transitions, grief, culturally sensitive minority mental health, college and career counseling, LGBTQIA+ affirming care, and self-esteem and identity work.

The underlying technology stack is modest and clinical rather than proprietary: a HIPAA-compliant telehealth video platform for statewide virtual sessions, an online portal for scheduling, rescheduling, and cancellation, and a content-driven marketing website with 40-plus SEO-oriented blog articles. There is no native mobile application, no public API, and no disclosed AI/ML capability.

Revenue is generated on a fee-for-service, pay-as-you-go basis. Per 55-minute session pricing is tiered by clinician licensure ($45-$95 for clinical interns, $95-$130 for LPC-Associates/LMSWs, and $135-$250 for fully licensed therapists), with couples therapy priced at $250 per session and group/family therapy at $35-$45 per person per hour. The practice is in-network with a broad panel of commercial and Medicare Advantage insurers (Ambetter, Aetna/Meritain, BlueCross BlueShield, Cigna/Evernorth, Optum/UnitedHealthcare, Magellan, Sana, Curative, Oscar, and HealthSpring Medicare Advantage) and also accepts self-pay via credit card or Zelle with superbills available for out-of-network reimbursement. A free 15-minute consultation and insurance benefit verification serve as the intake conversion mechanism. Customers are individual consumers (adults, teens, couples, families, minority and LGBTQIA+ communities, and seniors), making this a distributed, B2C service business with no disclosed external funding.

Name

Riaz Counseling, Pllc

Legal name

Riaz Counseling, Pllc

Website

https://riazcounseling.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Riaz Counseling, Pllc is a privately held Texas mental health practice offering individual, couples, and family therapy across three Houston-area offices and statewide telehealth, staffed by 25+ licensed and supervised therapists serving diverse adult, teen, family, minority, and LGBTQIA+ clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mental Health Counseling Services

NAICS

Offices of Mental Health Practitioners (except Physicians) (621330), Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers (621420)

SIC

Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Outpatient Mental Health & Counseling Clinics (HLAFABAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Couples & Family Therapy Teletherapy Platforms (HLALAEAG)

Keywords

• Mental health counseling
• Individual therapy services
• Couples and family therapy
• Telehealth therapy
• Trauma and EMDR therapy

Headquarters

HQ city

Houston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Therapy Sessions: Fee-for-service therapy sessions billed by session type - clinical interns ($45-95), LPC-Associates/LMSWs ($95-130), and fully licensed therapists ($135-250) per 55-minute session
2. Couples and Family Therapy: Couples therapy at $250 per 55-minute session; family/group therapy at $35-45 per person per hour
3. Insurance Reimbursement: Accepts major insurance plans including Aetna, Ambetter, BlueCross BlueShield, Cigna, Optum/UnitedHealthcare, Magellan Health, Sana Health Benefits. Provides superbills for out-of-network reimbursement.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Riaz Counseling, Pllc is a Texas-based mental health counseling practice delivering individual, couples, family, and group therapy sessions through three physical offices in the Houston metropolitan area (Galleria, Sugar Land, The Woodlands) and HIPAA-compliant telehealth statewide. Services are rendered by 25+ therapists across licensure levels (fully licensed, LPC-Associates/LMSWs, and supervised clinical interns) using evidence-based modalities such as CBT, DBT, EMDR, IFS, Gottman Method, and EFT. The practice bills fee-for-service per 55-minute session, accepts major commercial insurance plans and select Medicare Advantage plans, and offers a free 15-minute consultation as an intake and fit-assessment mechanism.

Product overview

Riaz Counseling is a mental health counseling practice offering a portfolio of therapy services across three physical office locations in the Houston metro area (Galleria, Sugar Land, The Woodlands) plus statewide telehealth. The core services include Individual Therapy, Couples Therapy, and Family Therapy, supplemented by specialized modalities including EMDR Therapy for trauma. The practice maintains multiple clinical specializations spanning Depression & Anxiety, Anger Management, Teen & Parenting, Life Transitions, Grief & Loss, Culturally Sensitive Therapy, College & Career Counseling, LGBTQIA+ Affirming Therapy, and Self-Esteem & Identity Therapy. Sessions are delivered in-person or via HIPAA-compliant telehealth platform, with therapists at varying licensure levels (Fully Licensed, LPC-Associates, Clinical Interns) at different price points.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Individual Therapy One-on-one counseling between a client and a Riaz Counseling therapist, focused on anxiety, depression, trauma, life transitions, and personal growth. Sessions are typically 50–55 minutes, offered in-person at all three Houston-area offices or via HIPAA-compliant telehealth across Texas, and delivered by clinicians across all licensure levels (clinical intern, LPC-Associate/LMSW, or fully licensed therapist).
• Couples Therapy Therapy for partners to rebuild communication, trust, and connection, drawing on approaches such as the Gottman Method, Emotionally Focused Therapy, and Cognitive Behavioral Couples Therapy. Priced at $250 per 55-minute session and delivered by fully licensed clinicians, available in-person and via telehealth.
• Family Therapy Psychological counseling for families (typically three or more members) to improve communication, resolve conflicts, and navigate transitions. Approaches include Structural Family Therapy, Bowenian Family Systems, Narrative Therapy, and Solution-Focused Brief Therapy, billed at $35–45 per person per hour.
• Online / Telehealth Therapy HIPAA-compliant virtual therapy sessions delivered to Texas residents statewide via secure video, using the same licensed therapists as the in-person offices. Available across all service lines including individual, couples, family, and group therapy, with flexible scheduling including evenings.
• EMDR Therapy Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) — an evidence-based, structured eight-phase therapy using bilateral stimulation to process traumatic memories and reduce distress associated with PTSD and trauma.
• Depression & Anxiety Therapy Evidence-based treatment using CBT, mindfulness, grounding techniques, and exposure therapy to help clients understand, manage, and overcome depression and anxiety conditions.
• Anger Management Counseling Therapy to help clients manage and express anger constructively, identify triggers and underlying emotions, and develop healthier coping using CBT techniques, communication skills, and mindfulness-based stress reduction.
• Teen & Parenting Therapy Adolescent therapy and parent coaching to strengthen communication, navigate conflict, and support healthy development for teens experiencing mood swings, anxiety, depression, or identity struggles.
• Life Transitions Counseling Support for navigating career changes, relocation, retirement, identity shifts, and other major life transitions using narrative therapy, values clarification, and practical coping strategies.
• Grief & Loss Counseling Compassionate support for processing loss including death of a loved one, relationship endings, or profound changes, with tools for self-care during acute and complicated grief.
• Culturally Sensitive Therapy Mental health support addressing discrimination, microaggressions, identity conflict, intergenerational trauma, and bicultural or immigrant experiences with culturally responsive care.
• College & Career Counseling Guidance for education and career decisions including values clarification, managing decision anxiety, work-life balance strategies, and support through career transitions.
• LGBTQIA+ Affirming Therapy Safe, affirming therapy for identity exploration, coming out, relationship challenges, and minority stress experienced by LGBTQIA+ individuals, including couples therapy for queer partnerships.
• Self-Esteem & Identity Therapy Therapy to uncover roots of self-doubt and build self-compassion and confidence using CBT, self-compassion practices, boundary-setting skills, and values clarification.

Quantifiable outcome

• Free 15-minute consultation offered for fit assessment
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ambetter (EPO)coreOthersAccepts Ambetter EPO insurance plans for mental health coverage. Note: HMO plans are not accepted.
• Aetna / Meritain HealthcoreOthersAccepts Aetna and Meritain Health insurance plans for mental health services.
• BlueCross BlueShieldcoreOthersAccepts BlueCross BlueShield insurance plans for mental health coverage.
• Cigna / EvernorthcoreOthersAccepts Cigna/Evernorth insurance plans for mental health coverage.
• Optum / UnitedHealthcarecoreOthersAccepts Optum and UnitedHealthcare insurance plans for mental health services.
• Magellan HealthcoreOthersAccepts Magellan Health insurance plans for mental health coverage.
• Sana Health BenefitscoreOthersAccepts Sana Health Benefits insurance plans for mental health services.
• CurativeminorOthersAccepts Curative insurance plans for mental health coverage.
• Oscar HealthminorOthersAccepts Oscar Health insurance plans for mental health coverage.
• HealthSpring Medicare AdvantagecoreOthersProudly accepts HealthSpring Medicare Advantage plans, providing mental health coverage for seniors in Houston and Sugar Land areas.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Grow Therapy: National therapist network and practice-management platform enabling independent and group practices to accept insurance and book clients. Closest peer in business model — supports group practices like Riaz with insurance credentialing, billing, and a client-matching marketplace.
• Talkspace: Online therapy and psychiatry platform delivering individual and couples therapy via video, messaging, and live sessions. Comparable D2C model with insurance partnerships that mirrors Riaz's in-network + self-pay hybrid, though operating at national scale with employer-channel distribution.
• Alma: Therapist network and practice platform providing insurance credentialing, billing, and a client-matching marketplace for independent and group practices. Comparable to the operational infrastructure supporting Riaz, with a national directory of culturally specialized clinicians.
• BetterHelp: Largest direct-to-consumer online therapy platform offering individual, couples, and teen therapy via subscription. Direct competitor to Riaz's virtual therapy offering on price, accessibility, and breadth of therapist choice, though lacking Riaz's in-person offices and culturally specialized positioning.
• Two Chairs: Group therapy practice operating clinics in multiple U.S. metros plus online therapy, with a curated therapist team and matching-led client experience. Highly comparable to Riaz's boutique group-practice model emphasizing fit-based therapist matching.
• Thriveworks: National chain of mental health practices offering in-person and online therapy, psychiatry, and life coaching across dozens of U.S. markets. Comparable group-practice model with multiple clinician tiers, broad insurance acceptance, and a multi-location footprint.
• Octave: Group therapy practice combining in-person clinics with virtual sessions across multiple U.S. markets, accepting insurance and offering a curated therapist panel. Closest structural analogue to Riaz's tiered-clinician, in-person + telehealth hybrid model.
• Ellie Mental Health: Franchise-based mental health group practice operating clinics across multiple U.S. states with similar in-person + telehealth hybrid delivery and broad insurance acceptance. Closest structural analogue to Riaz's multi-office group practice with culturally responsive care positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Lyra Health: Enterprise-focused mental health benefits platform serving employers with therapy, coaching, and medication services. Serves an overlapping customer need (therapy access) but at a fundamentally different scale and buyer (HR/benefits vs. individual consumer).

Emerging players

• Headway: Platform that helps therapists accept insurance by handling credentialing, claims, and patient billing. Acts as an enabler/competitor to practices like Riaz — practices can join Headway's network or use it to expand in-network reach faster.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/riaz-counseling-pllc

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Riaz Counseling, Pllc