I believe that each person is on a unique journey through life, with every experience combining to influence the human being we become, whether these experiences are joyful or unpleasant, or all the possibilities in between. Many times the journey becomes a struggle to avoid the unpleasant experiences, the uncomfortable yet unavoidable parts of life. This can lead to suffering, a dimming of our own personal vibrancy, unworkable patterns in our relationships with ourselves and others, and feeling stuck in life in a way that may appear impossible to move from. I believe that no person is broken, no one needs to be “fixed,” and that everything a person does and feels makes sense given their individual life experiences. I regard a healthy, vibrant, and empowered existence as one in which each human lives with radical acceptance for whatever life brings, while continuing to move towards a values-based core of vitality and personal strength. This, in turn, can help reduce and limit pain and suffering. And I believe everyone has that power within them and as your LMFP in San Jose, serving California, I would be honored to help you discover that for yourself.
Relationships are essential in finding our personal vibrancy. I view my role as one of a collaborative ally through whatever part of your journey you are on, illuminating possibilities and joining you in creativity, compassion, and occasional humor as you head toward the growth you desire, while helping you find the voice you may not know you have. I work with you to create change in your daily world through helping you develop a different relationship with your emotions so that you are able to identify what they are trying to tell you about your experience and not listen to what they say they are, which can be an overwhelming experience. I also help you create change through education, skills-building, identifying possibilities and choice within various contexts, cultivating mindful awareness, and helping you identify the values you wish to connect with and live within each moment. I am human, just like you, and I know what it’s like to be on my own journey toward healing and authentic living. I know what it’s like to feel powerless, and I strive to help those who feel powerless reclaim their own personal power. I know the courage and work that healing takes, and I respect that courage in you.
“Courage doesn’t happen when you have all the answers. It happens when you are ready to face the questions you have been avoiding your whole life.”
– Shannon L. Adler
Meet Stacey Alverez - LFMT Serving San Jose and California
“Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it.”
– Helen Keller
No one wants to hurt, and when we do, we can feel alone, powerless, angry, numb, stuck, and lost, struggling to find a way out of the pain.
I’m not here to fix you because you are not fundamentally broken. I’m here to empower you in making changes that add value and meaning to your life, to help you find a way to interact with your painful experiences in a different and effective manner so as to reduce your suffering, break any self-defeating habits you may have, and to find peace even within the midst of what may seem like chaos. The power to do this resides in you already. Sometimes what we all can benefit from is someone helping us to help us recognize this power in ourselves. I’m ready to help the San Jose and California community do that through mindful therapy, according to your own personal values and goals, as you are the expert in your life, even if you can’t see that now. Let’s work together to create you a life worth living.
My main therapeutic approach is a mindfulness-based therapy called Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). I also have had experience and training in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) and have co-led DBT groups within a private practice setting. I also utilize and have experience with client-centered approaches, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and existential therapeutic approaches. I have worked successfully with people who have felt that other therapeutic approaches have not been helpful. I’ve done this by utilizing an eclectic approach that focuses on each client’s individual needs and goals. I have been providing counseling and therapy to individuals, couples, and adolescents since 2009. I have helped clients with a spectrum of issues, including, but not limited to, trauma, abuse, domestic violence, rape and sexual trauma, bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety, post traumatic stress, complex trauma, suicidality, self-harm, relationship difficulties, and life transition issues. I hold a Masters of Arts degree in Clinical Psychology and Professional Clinical Counseling from San Jose State University, and two Bachelor of Arts Degrees in Psychology and Religious Studies from San Jose State University.