Dr. Paula Alvarez
LCSW offering client-centered care for trauma and mood concerns
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About
Dr. Paula Alvarez is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) with three and a half decades of experience in mental health practice. She holds a doctorate in Organizational Psychology and maintains licensure across multiple states. Her clinical background includes long-term work in both locked and outpatient mental health settings, and she has led group treatment programs addressing domestic violence in English and Spanish in past roles.
Her clinical interests span trauma-related symptoms, anxiety, depression, anger management, geriatric well-being, addictions, relationship and family concerns, grief, and issues of self-esteem. Additional focal areas include caregiver stress, codependency, communication and control issues, and multicultural concerns among others listed in her specialties.
Therapeutically she centers the person in the work, tailoring sessions to the goals and preferences of each individual. She integrates client-centered care with evidence-informed tools such as cognitive-behavioral strategies, brief solution-focused techniques, trauma-informed practices, motivational interviewing, and offers homework assignments and bibliotherapy when desired. Prospective clients are invited to explore whether her approach aligns with their needs to determine fit.
Her clinical interests span trauma-related symptoms, anxiety, depression, anger management, geriatric well-being, addictions, relationship and family concerns, grief, and issues of self-esteem. Additional focal areas include caregiver stress, codependency, communication and control issues, and multicultural concerns among others listed in her specialties.
Therapeutically she centers the person in the work, tailoring sessions to the goals and preferences of each individual. She integrates client-centered care with evidence-informed tools such as cognitive-behavioral strategies, brief solution-focused techniques, trauma-informed practices, motivational interviewing, and offers homework assignments and bibliotherapy when desired. Prospective clients are invited to explore whether her approach aligns with their needs to determine fit.
- Location:
- Missouri, United States
- Years Experience:
- 35
- Gender:
- Female
- Languages Spoken:
- English
- Therapist of Color:
- No
- Communication Options:
- Phone • Video • Live Chat • Messaging
Specialties
Primary area of focus:Stress, Anxiety, Trauma and abuse, Anger management, Depression
Other areas of experience: Addictions, LGBT, Relationship issues, Family conflicts, Grief, Parenting issues, Self esteem, Career difficulties, Coping with life changes, Coaching, ADHD, Abandonment, Codependency, Communication problems, Control issues, Divorce and separation, Domestic violence, Eating and food-related issues, Family of origin issues, Immigration issues, Isolation / loneliness, Life purpose, Mood disorders, Multicultural concerns, Postpartum depression, Post-traumatic stress, Self-love, Sexual assault and abuse, Workplace issues, Young adult issues
Credentials & Verification
- Credentials: CA LCSW 19790, IL LCSW 149.023704
- NPI Number: 1710020227
- License: LCSW (California), LCSW (Missouri), LCSW (Illinois)
Remote care built around client preferences
Dr. Alvarez offers remote sessions using video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to accommodate different communication styles. In online work she maintains the same client-centered stance she uses in person, beginning by listening to the priorities a person brings and shaping goals and interventions around those priorities.
She frequently draws on cognitive-behavioral therapy to help identify and practice alternative thinking and behavioral experiments, and on dialectical behavior therapy to teach skills for emotion regulation and distress tolerance. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy principles can be used to clarify values and committed actions when that approach fits the client. She also offers homework and bibliotherapy for clients who wish to use structured between-session practice.
Remote sessions aim to be collaborative: approaches and tools are selected with the client, adapting methods such as CBT, DBT, or ACT to the conversational format of video, phone, chat, or text-based work.
What is Dr. Paula Alvarez's clinical background?
She has 35 years of experience in mental health practice, including work in locked and outpatient facilities and leading group treatment programs. She also holds a doctorate in Organizational Psychology.
What credentials and licenses does she hold?
Dr. Alvarez is an LCSW. License details provided include CA LCSW 19790 and IL LCSW 149.023704.
Which languages does she speak?
The profile lists English as the language of service.
Where is she located?
Her listed location is Missouri.
How can clients work with her remotely?
Communication options include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging.
Does she accept international clients?
Yes. The profile indicates she is accepting international clients.
How much do sessions cost?
Cost varies by location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
What are the first steps to begin therapy?
To get started, use the Start Therapy button and complete a short matching questionnaire.