- values focused
- skills oriented
- gentle listening
About Catherine
Dr. Catherine Alvarez, Ph.D. offers a calm, straightforward approach to therapy. She listens without judgment and helps people take small steps toward feeling better. Her work emphasizes practical tools and steady progress for everyday struggles.
With 17 years of clinical experience and a Florida Licensed Mental Health Counselor credential, she addresses stress, anxiety, depression, and addictive behaviors. She also helps people cope with grief, trauma and abuse, relationship and intimacy concerns, and major life changes. Living with health challenges is among the focus areas she supports.
Her sessions often draw on methods from cognitive behavioral therapy and acceptance and commitment therapy to help people notice unhelpful thinking and build values-driven routines. Attachment-based ideas and client-centered listening shape how she talks about relationships and emotional patterns. Dialectical behavior therapy skills are also used when people need tools for managing intense emotions.
Dr. Alvarez names additional areas she attends to, including caregiver stress, chronic illness and pain, body image, and issues tied to autism spectrum traits and attention differences. She also works with concerns such as career stress, parenting strain, and compassion fatigue. Her background makes practical problem solving central to the work.
Sessions focus on what people want to change and how they can get there in small, achievable steps. She encourages realistic goals and uses check-ins to track progress. People who prefer direct, compassionate guidance may find this approach helpful.
With 17 years of clinical experience and a Florida Licensed Mental Health Counselor credential, she addresses stress, anxiety, depression, and addictive behaviors. She also helps people cope with grief, trauma and abuse, relationship and intimacy concerns, and major life changes. Living with health challenges is among the focus areas she supports.
Her sessions often draw on methods from cognitive behavioral therapy and acceptance and commitment therapy to help people notice unhelpful thinking and build values-driven routines. Attachment-based ideas and client-centered listening shape how she talks about relationships and emotional patterns. Dialectical behavior therapy skills are also used when people need tools for managing intense emotions.
Dr. Alvarez names additional areas she attends to, including caregiver stress, chronic illness and pain, body image, and issues tied to autism spectrum traits and attention differences. She also works with concerns such as career stress, parenting strain, and compassion fatigue. Her background makes practical problem solving central to the work.
Sessions focus on what people want to change and how they can get there in small, achievable steps. She encourages realistic goals and uses check-ins to track progress. People who prefer direct, compassionate guidance may find this approach helpful.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Family conflictsTrauma and abuseGriefIntimacy-related issuesEating disordersSleeping disordersParenting issuesSelf esteemCareer difficultiesBipolar disorderCoping with life changesCompassion fatigueADHD
Additional focus areas
AbandonmentAging and geriatric issuesAntisocial personalityAttachment issuesAutism and Asperger SyndromeAvoidant personalityBlended family issuesBody imageCancerCaregiver issues and stressChronic pain, illness, and disabilityCo-morbidityCodependencyCommitment issuesCommunication problemsControl issuesDependent personalityDisruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)DissociationDivorce and separationDomestic violenceDrug and alcohol addictionEating and food-related issuesEmptinessFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsFatherhood issuesForgivenessGuilt and shameHoardingHospice and end-of-life counselingImmigration issuesImpulsivityInfidelityIntellectual disabilityIsolation / lonelinessJealousyLife purposeMen's issuesMidlife crisisVeteran and Armed Forces IssuesMoney and financial issuesMood disordersMulticultural concernsNarcissismObsessions, compulsions, and OCDPanic disorder and panic attacksParanoiaPersonality disordersPhobiasPostpartum depressionPost-traumatic stressPrejudice and discriminationProcess addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Self-harmSelf-loveSex addictionSexual assault and abuseSexual dysfunctionSmoking / vaping cessationSocial anxiety and phobiaSomatizationTraumatic brain injuryTrichotillomaniaWomen's issuesWorkplace issuesYoung adult issues
Therapeutic approaches
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)Attachment-Based TherapyClient-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)Existential TherapyGottman MethodImago Relationship TherapyJungian TherapyMindfulness TherapyMotivational InterviewingNarrative TherapyPsychodynamic TherapySolution-Focused TherapySomatic TherapyTrauma-Focused TherapyInternal Family Systems
Experience
17+ years
Credentials
Florida
Languages
English
How specific approaches guide online therapy
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT, focuses on clarifying personal values and taking small consistent actions in line with those values. It helps people who feel stuck by shifting attention from unhelpful thoughts toward meaningful behavior. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, looks at patterns of thinking and behavior that keep problems going and teaches concrete strategies to change them. It is often used for anxiety, depression, and stress. Attachment-Based Therapy centers on how early relationship patterns affect current connections and emotional responses, which can be helpful for intimacy and relationship concerns.Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist collaborates with each person to identify which methods fit their needs, goals, and preferences. That means trying techniques, checking what helps, and adjusting the plan together so it matches what the person wants to change.
Confirm the session options before booking to learn how appointments are offered. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy life, reduce travel time, and allow shorter check-ins when schedules are tight. It also lets people use skills practice in the settings where they live and work, which can speed up learning. The therapist will discuss practical arrangements and how to structure sessions so they work with daily routines.
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of concerns can be addressed?
She works with a wide range of concerns including stress, anxiety, addictions, depression, trauma and abuse, grief, relationship and intimacy questions, sleeping and eating issues, and coping with life changes.
How would you describe the therapy style?
The approach blends client-centered listening with practical skills from cognitive behavioral therapy and acceptance and commitment therapy. Sessions focus on small steps, values, and emotion regulation skills.
What is the therapist's background?
She has 17 years of experience and brings personal and professional perspective to her work, emphasizing steady progress and realistic goals.
Where is the therapist licensed and based?
The therapist is a Florida LMHC and practices from Florida.
Which languages are supported?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can international clients work with this therapist?
International clients are accepted.
How are fees and payments handled?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
What should I do to begin working together?
Use the Start Therapy button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and then schedule according to the therapist's availability.