who has been in private practice in her hometown of Houston since 1973. In the 1970s, she and her late husband, Dr. Blair Justice, co-authored two groundbreaking books on child abuse and incest: The Abusing Family and The Broken Taboo, which are still in print today. The couple taught and lectured extensively in the United States and around the world and collaborated on numerous published articles.

Rita was born at St. Joseph Medical Center in Houston when it was the city’s state-of-the-art maternity hospital. She attended St. Anne Catholic School, Lanier Junior High, and Lamar High School. She received both her BA and her Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Texas at Austin.

In 2009, Rita and Blair cofounded the Houston Aphasia Recovery Center (HARC), a nonprofit organization, which provides programs for participants with aphasia, their caregivers, families, and volunteers. Aphasia is a communication disorder that results from brain injury. Prior to HARC, there was nowhere for aphasia sufferers in Houston to turn. Rita was HARC’s board chair for four years and its acting executive director for three. Due to a core group of dedicated volunteers and invested board members, HARC is the leading resource for people with aphasia and their families in Houston. It is also a leader in the aphasia community in North America.

Always working toward making life better for Houstonians, Rita launched The Master Caregiver Company (MCC) in 2014, changing the paradigm of professional caregiving companies. MCC provides home care for adults dealing with life-changing illness, including Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, vascular dementia, multiple sclerosis, and Parkinson’s disease. It also provides specialized geriatric care. The services are provided in the home, in residential care facilities, in hospitals, and to those in hospice care.

MCC is dedicated to providing high standards of care to its clients and a positive living environment that will enhance their quality of life. The company offers customized care plans, concierge support and consultation, and 24-hour access to care consultants. Attention to detail, service, quality, and care are its hallmarks. Looking after the whole person is as important to MCC as looking after their physical needs. Rita has seen to it that MCC provides the kind of care any of us would want for our loved ones.

Constantly on the move, Rita divides her time between serving on the board of HARC and running MCC. She also serves on the Vestry (board of directors) of the Palmer Memorial Episcopal Church and on the Palmer Place Ministry. The latter provides apartments to patients with extended stays for treatment in the Texas Medical Center. For twenty years, Rita was a trustee of the Houston Symphony. To express its gratitude to Rita for co-leading the Texas Psychological Association Disaster Response Network, the association honored her with their Outstanding Contribution to Public Service award.

In her quieter moments, Rita enjoys attending concerts at the Houston Symphony, meditating, attending Pilates classes, and playing with Tashi, her Tibetan Terrier.

Whether on her own, or with her husband, Rita’s leadership and service to her profession, her city, and numerous nonprofit and cultural organizations have been transformative and abundant.

CKW LUXE would like to congratulate Dr. Rita Justice for being a CKW LUXE Top 20 CEOs and Entrepreneurs Awards recipient for 2019.