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LMHC

Dr. Catherine Alvarez, Ph.D., LMHC

  • Experience17 years
  • LocationFlorida
  • Focus areasStress and Anxiety, Addictions, and Relationship
  • Therapy approachesInternal Family Systems and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
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About Catherine

Dr. Catherine Alvarez, Ph.D. blends Internal Family Systems with a range of evidence-informed therapies to help people navigate stress, anxiety, addiction, relationship struggles, trauma, and life transitions.

Background and approach

With 17 years of clinical experience and licensure as an LMHC in Florida (FL LMHC MH23606), she draws on approaches such as ACT, CBT, attachment-based work, and client-centered methods to tailor care to each person's needs. Her background and long path through personal challenges inform a compassionate, pragmatic style that values collaboration and steady progress.

Dr. Alvarez addresses concerns including depression, grief, intimacy-related issues, sleeping and eating problems, ADHD, and compassion fatigue, and she also works with a broad set of related focuses such as attachment issues, caregiving stress, chronic illness, body image, and communication difficulties.

Clients can expect a therapist who combines reflective exploration with skills-based strategies to manage symptoms and strengthen coping. Accepting international clients and offering sessions through multiple online formats, she supports people who seek flexible access to therapy.

Prospective clients begin by completing a short matching questionnaire and scheduling according to availability, with subscription-based sessions that can be canceled at any time.

Integrating Approaches for Online Healing

Dr. Alvarez uses Internal Family Systems to help people explore the different parts that make up their inner experience, inviting curiosity toward protective and wounded parts to reduce internal conflict and promote self-leadership. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is used to help clients clarify values and build psychological flexibility through mindfulness and committed action. Attachment-Based Therapy focuses on understanding relational patterns and how early connections shape current relationships, which can be useful for intimacy issues, grief, and communication problems.

Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. Dr. Alvarez works with each person to identify goals, preferences, and what feels most helpful, blending methods when that fit will better address presenting concerns. This collaborative stance supports steady, practical progress rather than a one-size-fits-all plan.

Online therapy with Dr. Alvarez is offered through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to increase accessibility and convenience. These formats make it easier to fit sessions into busy lives, maintain continuity during transitions, and access care across locations. Licensed professionals can adapt interventions effectively in virtual settings to combine reflective work with skill-building and practical coping strategies.

Frequently asked questions

What kinds of problems does Dr. Alvarez work with?
She addresses a wide range of concerns including stress, anxiety, addictions, relationship and intimacy-related issues, anger, depression, trauma and abuse, grief, eating and sleeping difficulties, parenting and career concerns, bipolar disorder, ADHD, and coping with life changes.
How would you describe her therapeutic style and approach?
Therapy is collaborative and integrates Internal Family Systems with acceptance and commitment, attachment-based, client-centered, and cognitive behavioral techniques depending on client goals and needs.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She has 17 years of experience working with a variety of mental health and life concerns, drawing on both reflective and skills-based methods.
What are her credentials and where is she licensed?
She is a licensed mental health counselor with the credential FL LMHC MH23606 and practices from Florida.
Can non-English speakers or international clients work with her?
She conducts sessions in English and does accept international clients for online work.
What session formats are available for working together?
Sessions are offered via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to provide flexible options for different needs.
How are costs and scheduling handled?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions are provided through a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
What steps are needed to begin therapy with Dr. Alvarez?
To start, select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule sessions based on the therapist's availability.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Stress, AnxietyAddictionsRelationship issuesAnger managementDepression

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

Licensed

Florida

Languages

English