- Client-centered approach
- CBT techniques
- Values-based work
About Paula
Dr. Paula Alvarez is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with 35 years of experience. She practices in Missouri and has held licenses in California and Illinois. She works with adults who are dealing with stress, anxiety, trauma, anger, depression, addictions, and related concerns.
She keeps sessions straightforward and practical. She uses a client-centered stance that treats the person in front of her as the expert on their life. When helpful, she brings in cognitive-behavioral techniques such as homework and reading suggestions to change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors. She also draws on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to help people clarify values and take action toward them.
Her background includes work in locked and outpatient mental health facilities over three decades. She led group treatment for domestic violence perpetrators in Spanish and English for eight years. That experience informs her approach to safety, boundaries, and managing anger in relationships.
Dr. Alvarez also integrates brief-solution focused methods and motivational interviewing to support practical problem solving. She notes experience with geriatric well-being, cultural diversity issues, grief, parenting concerns, and life transitions.
Her sessions can include concrete tools for managing intense feelings, skill practice, and steps to reduce repeated patterns. She invites people to try an initial visit to see if her way of working fits their needs.
How her approaches translate to online sessions
Dr. Alvarez commonly uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in her work. ACT helps people notice difficult thoughts and feelings while choosing actions that match their values. CBT focuses on identifying and changing unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns through practical exercises and homework.She also works from a client-centered frame, which means she listens first and adapts techniques to each person. Finding the right method is part of the process, and she collaborates with clients to pick approaches that match their goals and preferences.
The original biography does not list specific session formats, so confirm current options before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy life, for example by avoiding travel time or allowing shorter check-ins around a work break. It also lets therapists assign and review homework, use worksheets together on screen, and follow up with reading suggestions or action steps. Many people find these features help them apply skills for managing anger and stress in day-to-day situations.
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 concerns does she address?
She works with stress, anxiety, trauma, anger, depression, addictions, relationship and intimacy issues, and related concerns listed in her profile.
What is her therapy style?
She practices a client-centered approach and adapts methods to what the client prefers, using practical tools and brief, solution-focused steps when useful.
How much experience does she have?
She has 35 years of clinical experience, including work in locked and outpatient mental health settings and leading group programs.
What credentials and location information are on file?
She is an LCSW with licenses in California and Illinois and is listed as practicing in Missouri.
Which languages are supported?
Sessions are offered in English; her background includes work in Spanish and English in past group programs.
What session formats are available?
The original profile does not specify session formats. Confirm current session options before booking to know which formats she offers.
How does pricing work?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
What should I do to begin?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.