REGISTERED ASSOCIATE MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPIST #131664
Office in Berkeley, CA
therapy@raissa-alvero.com
510.876.4029
www.raissa-alvero.com
Supervised By: Margaret "Molly" Merson, MFT MFC #52483
Therapy is a unique and powerful resource. A private, non-judgmental space for you to unfold and move towards awareness, healing and growth. It can be a dynamic or a slow moving process that requires a supportive witness and guide. Depth psychotherapy is not for the faint of heart. Progress is rarely linear. It can be challenging to truly know yourself and grow, but you don’t have to do it alone. The only way out is through. By being fully present to the process of therapy, you may experience greater lightness, focus, balance, patience, connection, clarity and awareness.
I hold space for people who are facing life transitions, relationship struggles, family conflict and those who are healing from all forms of trauma. I utilize depth-oriented, liberation-focused and trauma-informed approaches to support people in gaining deeper awareness of the underlying issues that impact their relationships, sense of self and sense of belonging. I help people deepen and expand their capacity to experience, understand and be in relationship with themselves and with others. I believe that therapy is equal parts pain, love and liberation. As a therapist, I see my role as a guide who can co-create the balanced conditions of support and internal pressure ~ the optimal heat that allows the process of personal transformation to unfold.
I identify as a first generation Filipinx immigrant with a multicultural background and welcome folks of all intersections of identity to my practice. My therapeutic style is open, attentive, thoughtful and unhurried. In my practice, I honor and center the spiritual traditions of the indigenous Pilipinx Babaylan who are the original 'psychotherapists', healers, sages and priestesses of my people.
I earned my Master’s degree at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco where I received focused training in Integral Counseling Psychology - a holistic mind, body, spirit approach to psychology and wellbeing. To support and care for my work and my own process, I engage in ongoing supervision, case consultation, trainings, advocacy and my own personal psychotherapy. Prior to becoming a therapist, I was in the arts and non-profit sectors for ten years where I worked closely with visual artists, creatives and BIPOC women-identified professionals & entrepreneurs.
Specialties:
Adult children of immigrants
Asian/-American experience
Childhood trauma and intergenerational trauma
Teen mental health
Relationship challenges including family dynamics, communication difficulties and attachment issues
Purpose, meaning and existential concerns including life transitions, grief, identity exploration and self-development
Modalities I use:
Psychodynamic: Depth-oriented therapies like psychodynamic and Jungian therapy invites us to pay attention to what is outside of awareness which allows us the possibility of uncovering the deepest parts of who we are. Together we will listen deeply, generate insight and get a deeper understanding of what keeps you stuck. We will explore inner conflicts, relationship patterns and structures of behavior that may be blocking you. Through our work together, we will discover what is alive beneath your surface.
Trauma therapy: As a trauma-informed therapist, I acknowledge how systemic and cultural oppression causes trauma. Together we will go at your pace, cultivate embodied healing in the present moment and make meaning out of your experience. We will also tap into your resilience and your unique resources to support us in processing and integrating challenging past experiences. With time, I can help you access intuition and trust the wisdom of the body and imagination.
Liberation Psychology: I value supporting folks in their move towards greater authenticity and liberation. Together we will look at your struggles through the context of interlocking systems: family, ideology, society and culture. We will also focus on your unique strengths, empower your voice and find out where you have agency and choice in your life. In therapy, we can get to know your stories, examine cultural influences and release intergenerational burdens.
Mindfulness: Mindfulness teaches us how to be in the present moment, foster a sense of calm and clearheadedness and cultivates non-judgement, curiosity and kindness towards ourselves and others. I will help you build awareness of feelings and physical states and we will collaborate on developing inner and outer resources that will support you along your healing journey.
Internal Family Systems (or "parts work"): We contain multitudes. Together we will discover, give voice to and befriend the many parts and facets of you. Each part is valuable and worthy of our care and attention. Together, we make room for the inner wise Self who knows how to heal and work towards wholeness.
Contact Us
Starting is easy! Use the form on the right to begin our conversation. We'll start with a free, 30 minute consultation to see if we're a good match. If we're not, for any reason, I'll provide you with other referrals that may be a better fit - my commitment is to your well-being first!