Jessica Alpizar (she/her)

I have walked alongside countless courageous individuals as they processed their life-altering traumatic experiences. With each experience, I am reminded how incredibly resilient and powerful we are as humans when we decide to dive inward and take ownership of our life again. After all, we are entirely built to overcome. I utilize evidence-based treatments in combination with psychoeducation to foster self-awareness and overall knowledge about your condition.

If you're like most people, you've tried to make unpleasant thoughts and feelings go away by other means, but it rarely seems to work or the relief is often temporary. "Stuck not broken" is my mantra. I use strategies from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) such as defusion, acceptance, and true mindfulness to increase psychological flexibility (don't know what that entails? We'll get to that in therapy). Throughout our work together, you'll learn how to live alongside your anxiety

I use strategies from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and mindfulness to increase psychological flexibility. Throughout our work together, you'll learn how to live alongside your anxiety and depression without letting them take over and consume you. I build on ACT concepts by incorporating Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Interpersonal Psychotherapy, Attachment Theory (why we relate to others the way we do), and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) to help manage extreme emotions.

I have found attachment theory to be especially useful when conceptualizing cases in cases of early forms of relational trauma. This occurs when there is some disruption in the healthy bond formation between a baby or child and his or her primary caregiver. Healthy attachment occurs when the caregiver provides comfort, affection, and basic needs on a regular basis and with consistency. This can be especially useful to understand other conditioned approaches to life as adults (i.e. coping).

ACT is useful for those struggling with depression, different forms of anxiety, grief, loss, and more. For instance, ACT helps bereaved individuals struggling with prolonged, complicated grief use mindfulness to accept the painful experience of losing a loved one (i.e. via death or separation/divorce). Additionally, I use strategies from ACT such as defusion, acceptance, and mindfulness to increase psychological flexibility for those suffering from anxiety, depression, or life transitions.

I build on ACT concepts by incorporating Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help expose and better manage the faulty thoughts and self-sabotaging behavioral patterns that keep us "stuck."