Amber Alvarenga, LMFT — Therapist in California

Hi there, I'm Amber!

I want to work with you to develop a working relationship where you are the holder of your destiny. I will help guide you through the thoughts, feelings, actions, and experiences that seem to hold you back from living the life you imagine for yourself.

My focus

I enjoy working with trauma and helping you overcome life's hardest moments. I also work with life transitions, like teenagers becoming adults, women becoming moms, and moms becoming empty-nesters. I help clients gain new perspectives on their relationships and develop effective communication and boundary skills.

My approach

I believe therapy is holistic, a way to help your mind, body, and soul regain alignment after traumatic experiences or any other life stressors. My job is to provide a safe space to work through and fully understand your needs and values. I frequently use CBT, EMDR, and mindfulness to help you regain control over your life.

My communication style

I focus on creating a safe and open space. I want clients to feel comfortable opening up about what is on their minds. I am very validating and reassuring with a balance of assertiveness and directness.

My journey to mental healthcare

Throughout my life, I wanted to help people. I found therapy working with suicidal adolescents and helping them recover from the dark spaces haunting them. I worked with them to develop coping skills and life skills, which sparked my passion to dig deeper to heal the problem, not just cope with it.

My goals for you

I approach goal-setting with clients through identifying what they really hope to get out of services and identifying small steps and goals we can meet to get them to where they want to be.

Our first session

A first session with me will involve learning about your hopes for therapy and your history. I want to get some background on your struggles and, most importantly, what you want your life to look like.

I identify as...

Female
Caucasian or White

Expertise

Specialties

Child Abuse or Neglect

+ 13 more

Treatment approaches

Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)

EMDR

Mindfulness-Based

Attachment-based

Cognitive Processing (CPT)

Compassion Focused

Trauma Focused

Trust-Based Relational Intervention

+ 8 more

Focus populations

Body Positivity

Educators

Military/Veterans

+ 3 more

Therapy types

Individual Therapy

Ages served

Adults

Practice

Accepted insurance providers

Aetna
All Savers
Allegiance
Allied
Anthem

+ 60 more

Languages spoken

English

Education

Master of Arts (MA) in Clinical Psychology with emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy from Pepperdine University and a Master of Arts (MA) in Forensic Psychology from California Baptist College.

Sessions

60 minutes

Virtual sessions

Amber Alvarenga