LMFT, 9 years of experience
Hi, my name is Alyssa, my cultural background is Italian and Hispanic. I am also married to an Iranian and have learned for decades about Iranian culture. I am familiar with first responders and have proudly been invited to do several ride-alongs with a local Police department. I began my work practices as a therapist in the Bay Area of California and have been serving for 8 years. I enjoy providing a non-judgmental environment to support you with providing skills and tools to improve life's challenges. I went to NDNU for my master's program, earning my Master of Science in clinical psychology. I did my undergraduate degree at Menlo College in Atherton California. Most of my time has been a significant amount of years working with children aged 0-5, in school settings, and with couples. I enjoy engaging in relationship building, providing tools you can apply daily, and also with women who have experienced trauma. I also am an animal lover and enjoy spending time with my Italian Greyhound "Rocco", with my husband and children, hiking, and engaging in meditation during my free time. I also love the color pink and have a love for collecting crystal beads and making jewelry.
In our first session together I prefer to have a natural conversation. The reason I do this is because as we speak I learn so much about you and I start to pick on things that I notice could use support. I am also a human being and welcome you to ask me questions as well in order to get to know me and feel comfortable with sharing intimate details.
As a clinician my biggest strengths come from providing you tools based on scenarios and for them to be utilized in session to help you manage your discomfort or unpleasant challenges.
I particularly work with couples, women's challenges, and trauma. I am Catholic and have made all my sacraments as well currently attend church functions weekly, for those who would like spiritual support and understanding. I am best suited for those who like a more direct approach and appreciate tools and weekly homework to make sure you are applying the tools. My areas of experience with couples are for those who need support with communication, conflict resolution, and how to request wants and needs in a more desirable way. I have experience with personality disorders as well and can support you with those black-and-white thinking patterns.
5 ratings with written reviews
July 1, 2025
A great listener, and really helps guide me to the best possible solution for what I am dealing with at that moment in time. Alyssa is open minded, empowering, kind, and I always feel better after a session with her. She helped me work out some very challenging relationship issues, and brought me to a place where I feel much more confident. She suggested literature and gave me homework that really improved the way I feel about myself and the way I think about the world.
June 5, 2025
I wanted to select all the options. Alyssa is kind, open minded, intelligent, and helps me awake to the idea on my own. This approach is having a positive impact Thank you, Alyssa.
May 6, 2025
She is exceptional, empowers you to be vulnerable open and compassionate with your partner.. Her empathy helps me understand myself better and helps me be a more loving and caring partner to my partner. She is the first therapist I’ve had out of several who makes me feel heard. Her therapy encompass Many tried modes of evidence based therapies, which actually work which has motivated me to improve in many areas. As now I am more aware of the areas I need to work on for better relationships.
The attachment approach has been proven to support clients with the needs they desire. Attachment theories are developed in our early years with a caregiver and with evidence to describe our early years of development. This treatment method can decode needs that have been misunderstood by others and also a way to communicate better what you desire from others or why you have challenges in relationships.
I enjoy working with couples and helping them learn new tools and new approaches to communicate better with a partner. Couples may experience many encounters with conflict and not know how to navigate through these challenges that come with others. My approach is to help each partner discover what they want from a relationship, goals, desires, values, intimacy, and communication. I also support clients with reconnection when a disconnection happens. Building trust is also an approach that comes along with couples for them to start living better with a helpful mindset of the other person.
I am a catholic human being who was raised in the catholic community and has made all my sacraments. If asked I will assist clients in healthy Catholic practices and also pray with my clients if they request. I do not bring up any religious bases therapy unless it is asked for.
This approach is used when we need to tone down those loud negative voices we hear that are unhealthy and create a lot of Anxiety. The approach also is supported when we have negative mind sets or are in self-sabotage mode where we think if negative things as our outcomes to control the outcome.
I am a big believer in the Gottman Methode and have attended "The Art and Science of Love" Workshop in 2022. Couples counseling will be integrated as a treatment to support the Four Horsemen.