I am a Certified EMDR Therapist with over fifteen (15) years of full-time professional experience treating adults of at least twenty (20) years of age of diverse human backgrounds. I take a holistic and integrative and trauma-informed approach to therapy practice, including awareness and practice of the guiding principles of trauma-informed care and related treatment modalities in the field of psychology which are the following: safety, trustworthiness and transparency, collaboration and mutuality, empowerment and choice, cultural, historical, and gender issues. I value and practice sincerity and am a genuine person and therapist with no hidden agenda: What you see is what you get. I have been able to accomplish this personally by undergoing my own efforts in therapy and self-help. This is especially important to those with Complex PTSD and dissociative disorders who, usually, in the past have been traumatized by other people who, for example, were insincere, incongruous, and overall unstable, chaotic, unpredictable, and/or downright abusive. Human beings have an intrinsic need to share compassionately with others, to understand them, and to be understood. We also have a need to understand ourselves. This is essential communication that is at the core of collaborating with others in a manner that we can enjoy and respect our differences and our similarities.
What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?
In the practice of psychology (e.g., therapy) or counseling, it is standard practice for the initial session (or visit) to be an intake visit. The intake visit typically is 50 to 90 minutes in duration depending upon whether you use your healthcare insurance plan to help pay for the visit(s) or else. Prior to the intake visit, you complete some paperwork, and during intake we exchange further information about each other. By the end of this visit, we want to make sure that you have answers and a preliminary plan about your therapy, should you decide to move forward with therapy after the intake visit, so that you may achieve your therapy goal(s) (e.g., symptom remission); This usually provides people with hope and something concrete to look forward to.
Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.
As therapist, and overall person, I rank high in such personality traits as open-mindedness, curiosity, authenticity, and compassion. In my practice I welcome human diversity including, for instance, being an LGBTQIA+ ally. I was born and raised in Puerto Rico, therefore am fully bilingual in English and Spanish, too. In addition, I “practice what I preach;” For example, if you and I practice a skill together, in all likelihood I have practiced the same skill myself prior to teaching it. Throughout my adulthood, I have been an avid believer and advocate of self-growth and self-development. During the afore mentioned challenging time in my personal life, I relied on self-help books as well as undergoing psychotherapy. Yes, I know how it feels to be a therapy patient because I have been one! So, after such volitional help, I simply decided to go “pro” and help others, or “take my show on the road.”
Describe the client(s) you are best positioned to serve.
You are too familiar with stress, worry, and anxiety - even overthinking. Are you feeling lonely, inadequate, socially anxious, even panicky? Sick and tired of living constantly anxious and fearful? You can be helped to grow and expand into a state of self-confidence and empowerment to live a life worth living. Avoidance and self-medicating with alcohol/drugs can leave you high and dry - even feeling worse (short and long term)! You can learn how to make your fears and worries smaller and manageable, and practice the steps toward leading a satisfying life. This is too important. Life is way more than just surviving! Are recurring distressing thoughts, flashbacks, and nightmares of past events - even from childhood - haunting you? Perhaps you have tried "talk therapy," but after a short time your return to the "same old crap" without getting the results you long for. That's discouraging, isn't it? Long-lasting change is possible. Don't lose hope: Let me help you. With effective therapy like EMDR we can rewrite negative stories in your unconscious mind, where memories of irrational fears and trauma are stored, so that you may achieve a more thoroughgoing renovation of your mind, soul, and spirit. Don't just survive life: Thrive in it! For more information, visit my website.
About Hector Pereles
Identifies as
Specializes in
Serves ages
Appointments
VirtualMy treatment methods
EMDR
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) therapy is primarily used to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but it can also be helpful for other conditions like anxiety disorders, depression, Complex PTSD, dissociative disorders, addictions, and eating disorders. It works by helping individuals process and reprocess traumatic memories, reducing the emotional distress associated with them. As long as symptoms are connected to experiences from your past, EMDR therapy can be helpful; This is also known as experiential contributors to mental health symptoms and addictions.
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy is a type of psychotherapy that aims to help individuals understand and heal their inner experiences, including emotions and thoughts, by recognizing them as "parts" within a larger internal system. The core goal of IFS is to foster a sense of unity and harmony between these parts, ultimately revealing a compassionate and authentic "Self". I also practice a very effective hybrid therapy approach known as IFS-Informed EMDR therapy that integrates IFS into EMDR therapy.
Somatic
Somatic interventions are a type of therapy that focuses on the connection between the mind and body, particularly for healing trauma and stress. They involve techniques that help individuals become more aware of their physical sensations and use this awareness to process and release stored trauma, as well as to heal the nervous system. As needed, I integrate attachment-based interventions into my EMDR and IFS-Informed EMDR therapy practice.
Attachment-based
Attachment-based therapy is a form of therapy rooted in attachment theory, which suggests that early childhood relationships with caregivers shape a person's ability to form healthy relationships later in life. It focuses on helping individuals understand and address how their early attachment experiences impact their current relationships and emotional well-being. As needed, I integrate attachment-based interventions into my EMDR and IFS-Informed EMDR therapy practice.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a widely used form of psychotherapy that aims to treat a variety of mental health conditions and improve overall well-being. CBT focuses on identifying and challenging negative thoughts and beliefs that contribute to these problems, as well as developing coping mechanisms and behavioral changes to promote positive outcomes.