LP, 30 years of experience
ABOUT ME Thank you for taking the first step towards seeking help. That is the first step to reaching your potential and a happier more fulfilling life. My name is Dr. Ana Mercedes Lopez, I am a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Certified Health Care Provider with over 28 years of clinical experience working with children, adolescents, and adults (English and Spanish speaking). I love working with others and believe that life provides us with continual opportunity for personal growth and change because we are all “a work in progress.” I have a wide range of experience working with individuals and a particular passion for helping people, but I am particularly passionate about working with individuals with a history of psychological trauma (sexual, physical, and emotional abuse and neglect). I have worked with a wide range of clients over many years and I look forward to working with you as well to help you to achieve your goals in order for you to maintain a healthy and positive outlook on life. I have a warm and friendly style and strongly believe in the importance of the therapeutic bond and building a healthy and trusting relationship with you. When working with me, you can expect me to be both knowledgeable yet down to earth. I look forward to working with you and to helping you to build on your strengths in a manner that is not judgmental and one which helps you to grow to you potential.
You can expect me to take full interest in understanding your individual struggles. I will take the time to get to know you as an individual and to understand your unique qualities. You can also expect that I will be active in the session in providing you with the tools that will promote self-discovery and positive change. I will also take steps to understand your attachment style, love language, and other aspects of your personality which will help me to tailor the treatment to your specific needs and personality style. As appropriate, I will bring up different interventions which you can apply to your particular situation which will help you to challenge yourself to reach a higher level of functioning. I will value you as an individual, and will always try to highlight your strengths.
In general, my treatment approach tends to be cognitive behavioral. However, depending on the issues at hand I may use other approaches as is necessary. For example, I may combine a cognitive behavioral approach with other interventions which help the person heal from psychological distress and emotional trauma (inner child work, interpersonal psychotherapy, and I use psycho-educational resources, etc. to further promote growth and understanding). I often encourage those with whom I work with to engage in activities which help promote a healthy psychological state (meditation, exercise, mindfulness, etc.). I also take the time necessary to help individuals understand their struggles by using everyday examples to take the mystery out of dealing with more complex psychological issues.
I would say that I am particularly knowledgeable in working with those who have experienced psychological trauma. I have worked for decades with children and adults (males and females) who have been sexually, physically, and emotionally abused or neglected. I focus on the healing aspects of therapy and strongly believe that there is great potential for post-traumatic growth. I am also very comfortable working with individuals who come from different cultures and family backgrounds. As a bilingual (English-Spanish) and bicultural psychologist, I value diverse populations and lifestyles. Those with whom I have had the privilege to work with over the years have told me that they feel seen and heard. It is very important to me to be honest and compassionate with those with whom I work with.
Children and adults (male or female) of all ages. I can work with those who speak English or Spanish.