LMFT, 7 years of experience
I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist from California, currently based in the SF Bay Area. I received my Masters degree in Clinical Psychology from San Francisco State University. I specialize in working with Complex Trauma and I have been in private practice for 5 years. I have almost 10 years of clinical experience working with clients from various backgrounds and in various settings, from school-based sites to community mental health.
In our first session together we will review your intake and assessments. I like to take this time to clarify the information you provided and ask additional questions to better understand your challenges and your goals for therapy. During this session you will also have an opportunity to ask me any questions related to my experience or my therapy approach and our work together. This initial session allows for us both to determine if working together would be a good fit moving forward.
I am client-centered and relational in my approach to therapy, meaning I truly like to get to know my clients on a personal level and I hold a deep level of compassion for the struggles we all face as people. I create a safe space for my clients to explore the challenges most greatly impacting their quality of life.
I love working with individuals who are curious about themselves. I am most interested in working with clients who want to gain deeper insight into their current patterns or behaviors and want to explore the impact of their lived experiences on who they are today. I enjoy working with clients from a wide range of backgrounds and identities, though my focus is on providing a safe therapy space to women and POC.
I focus on helping my clients build deeper personal insight and explore unconscious parts of ourselves.
I assist clients in developing skills to increase stress tolerance, emotional regulation and anger management.
I explore with my clients how our attachment styles impact our current relationships and why we repeat certain patterns in our relationships.
The client is the expert on themselves and their lived experiences. As your therapist I strive to understand your experiences through the same lens you use.
2 ratings with written reviews
June 4, 2025
Having Alena as my therapist has truly changed my life in such a positive way. She is the best. I am grateful to have gotten lucky to meet her & her advice is always helpful and kind. I always tell people that I hope they find a therapist as amazing as she is.
May 5, 2025
I feel heard and understood while also receiving feedback that provides me with a better understanding of motivations and actions.