Elise Alvarez (she/they)

I have worked with people that have experienced traumas of all types and have specifically worked with survivors of Intimate Partner Violence for years. I am trained in Somatic Experiencing and can utilize body-based interventions as much or as little as feels safe.

While body image issues are common among all types of people, people socialized as women experience them in specific and frequently challenging ways. I address these issues from a Weight-Neutral lens and use somatic interventions to help people cultivate a happier and healthier relationship with their bodies.

I help guide clients through issues surrounding their LGBTQIA+ identities. Oppression can make living as a queer person extremely difficult. My ultimate goal is to help people move towards community and self-love to support any problems that arise due to their identity.

I received my degree in Dance/Movement Therapy. While the name can be a bit intimidating to some, I employ movement interventions in a client-focused manner and only when people want to use them. This can vary from identifying what emotions feel like in your body all the way up to doing things like punching pillows to process anger.

I have found exploring Attachment Theory with clients to be extremely helpful when working on the way that people relate to others in their lives. This can help contextualize your reactions and build a map of how to move forward to deepen relationships.

I received my degree in Somatic Therapy. This type of therapy can vary vastly from doing things like identifying what emotions feel like in your body all the way up to activities things like punching pillows to process anger. This modality is especially helpful with emotions that have stuck around for long periods of time or things that feel too overwhelming to talk about. Getting in touch with your body creates a deeper connection to self.

I have received extensive training in ERP for OCD and have worked with all types of OCD. This modality is more structured than typical talk-therapy, and involves confronting triggers in a slow and gradual manner until the nervous system has built up enough tolerance to no longer need to use compulsions. It is the gold-standard of OCD treatment.

My experience with trauma therapy includes trainings in Somatic Experiencing and extensive work with survivors of Intimate Partner Violence. I work towards establishing emotional and physical safety for people before diving into their experiences and using experiential and somatic interventions to help process the emotions.