- CBT interventions
- ACT strategies
- Client-centered work
About Paula
Dr. Paula Alvarez is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with 35 years of experience. She is licensed in California, Illinois, and practices in Missouri. She works with adults facing stress, anxiety, depression, grief, relationship and intimacy concerns, addictions, ADHD, and issues tied to family of origin.
Her approach centers on the person in front of her. She follows client-centered therapy and uses practical techniques from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) when they fit a client's goals. She offers focused work on anger, coping with life changes, career concerns, and parenting stress.
Dr. Alvarez has a long history in both inpatient and outpatient settings. That background informs her work with people recovering from difficult events and those needing help with daily functioning. She has provided group treatment addressing domestic violence in English and Spanish.
Sessions often include concrete tools and, when appropriate, homework or reading suggestions. She uses motivational interviewing and solution-focused techniques for people who prefer short-term, goal-oriented work. She adapts methods based on what the individual finds most helpful.
Her additional focus areas include caregiver stress, codependency, communication problems, abandonment concerns, end-of-life and hospice counseling, immigration-related issues, and isolation or loneliness. People can expect straightforward, skills-based sessions aimed at changing patterns that began in the family of origin.
How her approaches translate to remote work
Client-centered therapy focuses on listening and following the person's goals. In remote sessions this means the therapist asks about immediate concerns and builds sessions around what the client brings up, step by step.Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) breaks problems into thoughts, feelings, and actions and teaches practical skills to change unhelpful patterns. It is useful for anxiety, depression, stress, and many everyday problems and often includes specific exercises to try between sessions.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people clarify values and take action even when unpleasant feelings are present. It can help with long-standing family-of-origin patterns and with making behavioral changes tied to relationships and work.
Finding the right approach is collaborative. The therapist and client review goals, try methods, and adjust as needed. That collaborative process helps identify whether more skills-based work, emotion regulation techniques, or value-focused action fits best.
Confirm the exact session formats before booking since the biography does not list them. Remote work can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and reduce travel time. It can also allow sessions without video if someone prefers a phone conversation or lower bandwidth option.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
35+ years
Listed in
California, Missouri, Illinois
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of concerns does she address?
She works with stress, anxiety, depression, bipolar concerns, addictions, relationship and intimacy issues, grief, parenting stress, ADHD, and family of origin issues among other topics.
What is her style in sessions?
She uses a client-centered approach and adapts techniques to what the person prefers. Sessions may include skills training, homework, or bibliotherapy if desired.
How much experience does she have?
She brings 35 years of clinical experience in inpatient and outpatient mental health settings.
What are her credentials and where does she practice?
She is an LCSW with licensure in California and Illinois and practices in Missouri.
Does she work in other languages or with international clients?
Sessions are offered in English. She accepts international clients as noted in her profile.
Which session formats are available?
Confirm current session options before booking, since the biography does not specify exact formats.
How are fees handled?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are in danger, use the emergency numbers. Looking for someone else? Find them by surname.