Rita Motta
MSW, RSW
SHE/HER
REGISTERED SOCIAL WORKER
QUALITIES
Rita Motta is a child therapist
at Kids Reconnect in Calgary.
She uses her helpful, kind,
playful, caring, dedicated
child and teen counselling Superpowers
to connect with kids and teens,
helping them grow a ton
while having lots of FUN!
Rita’s Superhero Story
Attention Parents
Before your first session, you can share
this story with your child. You can also
scroll below to read about Rita’s
child and teen counselling expertise
in her professional bio.
Once upon a time, there was a little girl called Rita, who lived close to the Rocky Mountains.
Rita loved playing in the garden and going on hikes with her family. In fact, she loved playing so much, that she did not want to grow up. Playing was one of her Superpowers. She was also very kind and loved to help others out.
How Rita met Lucy the bear
One day, when she was playing in the garden, Rita found a teddy bear. The teddy bear looked lonely. It was covered in mud and looked very upset.
“GRRR!” The teddy bear growled in a grumpy way. Go away!”
(Sometimes, when kids get upset, they growl and scowl like a bear, too.)
Rita noticed that the teddy bear was crying and holding something in its paws.
“Don’t take my watermelon! It’s mine!” the little bear yelled.
“Oh, that’s a watermelon?, was Rita’s caring response. ”I wondered what that was. Please don’t worry. Of course I won’t take your watermelon.”
“Okay,” said the bear, and she stopped crying.
“Dear little bear, my name is Rita,” Rita said in her kind voice. “I can tell from your loud voice that you sound upset. Are you upset?”
How Rita made a plan to help Lucy
“Hi, Rita. Yes, I am so sad,” the bear said. “My name is Lucy. I am lost and upset I don’t know what to do.”
“Being lost sounds very scary and sad, Lucy. Would you like to tell me more about what happened?” Rita gently asked. “Maybe together we can figure out what to do.”
Lucy nodded. She explained that she had been playing in her garden while her Momma Bear and her Dad, Colton, were planting flowers. Then a big gust of wind blew Lucy and her watermelon, very far away. When she opened her eyes, she did not know where she was.
Rita listened to Lucy and made a plan.
“Let’s get you cleaned up and eat an afternoon snack. Then we will figure out how to find your Mom and Dad. Does this sound like a good plan, Lucy?”
“Yes, please,” said Lucy, and they went inside.
Rita put the watermelon in a bowl and made some tea. In the kitchen sink, she gave the bear a warm bubble bath, to remove all the mud. Once Lucy the bear was all cleaned up, she felt a little better and was able to talk. She told Rita that she was hungry, so they had a nice friendly chat over a cup of tea and shared a chocolate muffin.
How Rita and Lucy shared a snack
“What does watermelon taste like?” Rita asked Lucy. “I have never tried watermelon before.”
Lucy the teddy bear decided to share her watermelon with Rita.
“Would you like to taste it?” she offered. I love watermelon. You might like it, too,”
Rita’s Mom came into the kitchen.
“Hi, little teddy bear,” she said. “I’m Rosa, Rita’s Mom. What’s your name?”
“She’s Lucy, Mom,” Rita replied. “Would you help us cut the watermelon, to share?”
Rosa helped them cut open the watermelon, and guess what they found out? Watermelon has lots of little seeds inside! Plus, Rosa explained, from each watermelon seed, a whole new watermelon plant could grow. So many watermelons – what a thing to know!
The new friends ate two big slices of delicious watermelon and Rita saved the seeds in her pocket.
and see what happens
How Rita helped Lucy find her way home
Lucy the teddy bear looked out the window, pointed to the house next door, and smiled a warm smile.
“That’s my house!”, she said. ”Look, that’s my Mom and Dad, planting flowers in the yard.”
Rita led the way as they walked (almost ran!), hand in paw, to Lucy’s house.
“Mom and Dad, I am home! This is my new friend, Rita. Rita, this is my Mom and Dad, They are my Bear Family,” said Lucy, using her best manners.
“Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Bear. Rita said. My name is Rita, I am six years old, and I live next door.”
Mr. Bear hugged Lucy. He was so happy to find his lost lost teddy bear kiddo.
“LUCYYYY!” Mr. Bear said, with a big smile on his face. He gave Rita a hug that meant “thank you.” Rita understood. She hugged him right back.
”I am Colton,” he said. Then he held out his hand to show four fingers. ‘I am five,” he said — perhaps meaning almost five.
“Hi Colton,” said Rita.
“Lucy, we are so happy that you are home!” said Mrs. Bear, as she kissed Lucy’s forehead.
“Hello Rita,” said Mrs. Bear. “I am Andrea, and I am seven years old. Colton and I moved here with Lucy last week. Thank you for helping Lucy find her way home. You really had her back. That was so kind of you!”
“You’re welcome, Andrea, said Rita with a smile. “I love helping out.”
“See these yellow flowers, Rita? They are watermelon plants,” Andrea explained. “Colton and I are planting them. Would you like to help us?”
“Yes, I would love to help out,” said Rita.
So together, they planted watermelon plants until it was time for Rita to go home. It was hard to say goodbye, but Rita was brave and said goodbye very nicely. After that day, Rita had many fun playdates with her new friends. Years later, Lucy, Andrea, and Colton moved to England. Rita misses them, but they talk on the phone often, to stay in touch. She loves them very much.
“How lucky am I
to have something
that makes saying goodbye so hard.”— A. A. MILNE
The Complete Tales of Winnie-the-Pooh
Let’s recap: what are Rita‘s Superpowers?
As you can tell from this story, that day, Rita discovered and practiced some of her Superpowers. There was playing, of course. Caring about others and helping them out. Listening and figuring out plans. Sharing and trying new things. Asking for help. Growing a garden. Learning together. Growing feelings and friendship Superpowers with our new friends. Saying goodbye and staying in touch with those you love very much.
What happened when Rita grew up?
Finding and growing our Superpowers is great fun. Which brings us to the last part of our story, because now that Rita is grown-up, she is a child therapist, and helps kids with their own Superpowers.
When Rita grew up, she became a Registered Social Worker and works as a child therapist, which is an official, grown-up way to say “Feelings Helper”. You see, kids, teens, and grown-ups sometimes need help with their feelings. Helping kids out using child therapy is exactly what Rita learned to do in university, when she got her master’s degree.
Every day, in EmPOWERland at Kids Reconnect, Rita helps kids, teens, parents, and families. As a child therapist, with kids she uses play therapy in one of our beautiful playrooms, which kids love. She also uses special “Feelings Helper” know-how, like EMDR therapy, art therapy, sandtray therapy, narrative therapy, and other cool therapy modalities to help kids explore and grow their own Superpowers. And that’s not all — Rita also co-facilitates the Feelings & Friends Group for kids ages 6-8 and 9-12.
What is one of Rita’s favourite things about growing up?
Rita shared with us that when she was little, she did not know this important fact, but now she does. Here it is, in big letters, for kids and parents alike:
PLAYING IS NOT JUST FOR KIDS.
ADULTS CAN PLAY, TOO.
As a grown-up, Rita still plays every day, and at work, she uses play therapy to help kids as well.
Perhaps guessing is a special Superpower of yours. On Rita’s windowsill, she has a beautiful plant with yellow flowers.
Can you guess what kind of plant it might be?
Rita’s Professional Bio
Rita Motta is a Registered Social Worker with the Alberta College of Social Workers. She holds a clinical master’s degree in social work (MSW) – Practice with Individuals, Families, and Groups, from the University of Calgary, and a bachelor’s degree in social work (BSW) from MacEwan University, where she graduated with distinction and was on the Dean’s List.
In 2024, Rita was lauded with the Dr. Gayla Rogers Legacy Medal in Social Work, which is awarded by the University of Calgary to the master’s student with the highest cumulative GPA who has also demonstrated excellence in leadership and in their field placement.
Rita’s child therapy training and experience
Bringing to the team over seven years of volunteer and social services work experience, Rita joined Kids Reconnect in 2024,
Rita is an Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapist with Level 1 and 2 training.
In her therapy sessions with children, adolescents, and parents, she also draws from play-based techniques and her training in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Third-Wave Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Motivational Interviewing, mindfulness-based and trauma-focused therapy techniques, therapeutic writing for grief and trauma, and conflict resolution, while maintaining client-centred, anti-oppressive, and strengths-based approaches.
Rita’s service experience reflects her commitment to caring, inclusive causes
A skilled public speaker and committed 2SLGBTQI+ ally, Rita was a panellist at the 2SLGBTQ+ Inclusion Workshop for Practicum Supervisors at MacEwan University in 2023.
Her volunteering experience includes serving at Reconcile Outreach Ministry, at the Women’s Van Program at the Salvation Army, as a Committee Member of the Antisemitism/Anti-racism Group at Temple Beth Ora Synagogue, and teaching at Beulah Alliance Church. She holds a special place in her heart for causes that support women and children. Among other supportive causes, in 2019, Rita founded and facilitated a self-care, community-building, and safe space group called Lucy’s Heart Women’s Group in Edmonton, and in the summer of 2018, she led humanitarian teams while working with disadvantaged children, youth, and families in Peru.
Rita offers child therapy services in English and Spanish
Rita is professionally fluent in English and Spanish, and conversational in French. She offers child, adolescent, parent, family, and adult (individual) counselling in English and Spanish.
Child therapist Rita Motta helps kids navigate tricky feelings, like anxiety or envy, in gentle, fun-filled play therapy sessions
Explore and learn more: resources and tips with Rita
