Dennis Alvarez

Hello, I’m Dennis Alvarez, PsyD, LPC. I believe counseling should both encourage and thoughtfully challenge individuals to move toward their fullest potential by addressing the mental, emotional, and spiritual dimensions of their lives. When I work with clients, I help them understand how and why certain thoughts, emotions, and behavioral patterns develop, and how these patterns can be modified in ways that support healing and long-term growth. I work primarily with adults and adolescents experiencing depression, anxiety, trauma-related conditions, and substance-use concerns. These difficulties often affect relationships, work or academic functioning, and overall quality of life, and may also present with physical or somatic symptoms. Much of my clinical training and research has focused on the long-term psychological and physiological effects of trauma. My doctoral dissertation, The Psychological Impact of Piracy: Incidence of Physical Symptoms Suggestive of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Seafarers, examined trauma exposure and the development of PTSD-related physical and emotional symptoms, shaping my understanding of how chronic stress and traumatic experiences can contribute to persistent health and psychological difficulties. My professional experience includes work in inpatient hospital and emergency department settings, where I conducted evaluations, risk assessments, and diagnostic clarification for individuals presenting with acute psychological distress. I also provide ongoing outpatient psychotherapy in private practice, allowing for continuity of care beyond crisis stabilization and supporting sustained therapeutic progress over time. In my practice, I use an integrative, evidence-based approach to treatment that includes Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Individual (Adlerian) Psychology, biofeedback, and neurofeedback. Treatment is collaborative and trauma-informed, with an emphasis on safety, insight, symptom reduction, and restoration of meaningful functioning. I am also the author of When Heaven Was Silent: Integrating Psychology and Theology in the Garden of Gethsemane, and my clinical work reflects a thoughtful integration of psychological science, meaning-making, and respect for each individual’s values and beliefs.