Therapist profile
Dr. Paula Alvarez, LCSW
Missouri
LCSW in Missouri - mood and relationship concerns
Continue with PaulaWhere Paula stands
- Credentials
- LCSW
- License
- LCSW, California / 19790; LCSW, Missouri / 2016036974; LCSW, Illinois / 149.023704
- NPI
- 1710020227
- Experience
- 35 years
- Languages
- English
- Location
- Missouri
About
- Codependency support
- CBT and ACT tools
- Trauma informed practice
About Paula
Dr. Paula Alvarez is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with 35 years of experience. She holds LCSW credentials in California and Illinois and works from Missouri. She regularly helps people who are stressed, anxious, grieving, struggling with mood or addiction, or feeling stuck in relationship patterns such as codependency.
Her background includes long work in both locked and outpatient mental health settings. She has led group work with domestic violence perpetrators in English and Spanish, and she completed an EdD in Leadership and Learning with a specialization in Organizational Psychology in 2021.
In sessions she uses a client-centered stance, treating the person in the room as the expert on their life. She draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy when clients want concrete skills and short homework to practice between sessions. She also uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy ideas to help people notice what matters to them and act in line with those values.
She brings trauma-informed practices and Motivational Interviewing strategies to work with people who are coping with abuse histories, addiction, or major life changes. She offers brief, solution-focused techniques when the goal is specific change or problem solving.
People who come to her often want practical tools for setting boundaries, managing anger or anxiety, or recovering a sense of self after caregiving, loss, or difficult relationships. She asks about what a person wants from therapy and adapts sessions to support those goals.
How sessions work
How her approaches translate to online work
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people connect with what matters to them and take small, values-based steps despite difficult thoughts or feelings. It can be useful for anxiety, codependency patterns, and life transitions. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying unhelpful thought patterns and practicing new behaviors or skills; it often includes short exercises and homework to build coping tools. Client-Centered Therapy emphasizes listening, reflecting, and following the client’s agenda so sessions focus on what the person wants to change.Choosing the right approach is part of the work together. She will review goals, preferences, and what has or hasn't worked before, and then suggest methods to try. That decision is collaborative and can shift over time as needs change.
The original biography does not specify online formats, so confirm current session options before booking. Many people find online sessions help fit therapy into busy lives, such as shorter check-ins during a work break, not needing to travel, or keeping sessions when routines are disrupted. Online sessions can also make it easier to use homework, worksheets, and real-time practice between meetings. Licensed professionals can adapt ACT, CBT, and client-centered methods to an online setting to focus on practical skills and steady progress.
Areas of focus
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
35+ years
Listed in
California, Missouri, Illinois
Languages
English
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of concerns does she help with?
She works with stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, addictions, relationship and intimacy issues, grief, caregiving strain, codependency and related concerns.
What is her general therapeutic style?
She practices a client-centered style and uses practical methods like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, DBT skills, and brief solution-focused work when helpful.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She has 35 years of clinical experience in locked and outpatient mental health settings and has run group treatment programs in English and Spanish.
What are her credentials and where is she based?
She is an LCSW with licensure in California and Illinois and works from Missouri.
Are sessions offered in other languages or to international clients?
Sessions are offered in English, and she accepts international clients.
What session formats are available?
The original biography does not list specific session formats; please confirm current session options before booking.
How much do sessions cost?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Begin by selecting the See online therapy options button, completing a short matching questionnaire, and scheduling a first session.
Details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. A license can be checked with the state board.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are not safe at home, use the crisis and helpline numbers.