Aleida Chavez
My name is Aleida Chavez, LCSW-S, LCCA, CART, and I am glad you are here. Taking the first step toward a more fulfilling and emotionally healthy life requires courage. Reaching out for support is not always easy, and I commend you for choosing to invest in yourself and your well-being. I am a bilingual (English/Spanish) Licensed Clinical Social Worker-Supervisor in Texas and Certified Anger Resolution Therapist with over 11 years of professional mental health experience and more than 20 years of combined experience in medical and mental health case management, training, and education. I have extensive experience helping individuals navigate depression, anxiety, stress, grief and loss, trauma and abuse, self-esteem concerns, addiction, anger management, relationship difficulties, life transitions, and other mental health challenges.
I have 11 years of professional experience in mental health, and 20 years overall in medical and mental health case management, training, and education.
My priority is creating a safe, welcoming, and nonjudgmental environment where you feel heard, respected, and supported. I approach therapy with empathy, authenticity, cultural humility, and respect for the unique experiences each person brings into the therapeutic relationship. I believe you are the expert on your lived experience. My role is to provide clinical knowledge, support, perspective, and therapeutic tools that can help you better understand yourself and work toward meaningful change. I do not believe in a one-size-fits-all approach to therapy. Treatment is tailored to your individual needs, strengths, values, culture, experiences, and goals. Together, we can explore difficult emotions, identify patterns, strengthen coping skills, and work toward greater emotional well-being and personal growth. I look forward to getting to know you and supporting you on your journey.
First session
In an initial session with me, clients can expect to be met with an empathetic, supportive, and caring mental health provider who understands that it is not easy to speak to a complete stranger about their life and their problems. Many individuals spend a lot of time avoiding speaking about themselves, or being a focal point in a conversation. I want my clients to feel at ease and understand that they are in a safe and nonjudgemental space. You, as a client, have already completed the hardest part, which is taking the first step in seeking help in obtaining a healthier and happier life. In our first session, you can expect to be treated with dignity and respect and as the expert of your life experience.
Strengths
Some of my greatest strengths as a mental health provider are my ability to connect authentically with clients and create an atmosphere grounded in acceptance, compassion, empathy, and respect. I am an attentive listener and believe every person deserves to be treated with dignity while having a safe space to express themselves without fear of judgment. I approach the therapeutic relationship as a collaborative alliance. While I bring clinical knowledge and experience into the therapy room, I do not position myself as the expert on my clients' lives. Instead, I recognize each client as the expert on their own lived experience. Together, we explore challenges, identify strengths, develop insight, and work toward meaningful and achievable goals. Another strength I bring to my sessions is my passion for psychoeducation. I believe that understanding the “why” behind our emotions, behaviors, patterns, and mental health experiences can be incredibly empowering. Knowledge can help clients better understand themselves and become active participants in their own growth and healing. In addition to being a Licensed Clinical Social Worker-Supervisor, I serve as an adjunct professor at Stephen F. Austin State University, where I teach graduate-level Social Work students. Teaching strengthens my commitment to continued learning and allows me to bring both clinical experience and current knowledge into the therapeutic space.
Ideal clients
My ideal client would be open to establishing a strong therapeutic alliance in order to address their current and immediate needs, while tackling their diverse life stressors. My goal is to establish good rapport and create a safe space for my client to openly share their concerns while working in collaboration to meet their therapeutic goals. This client can be facing a number of challenges ranging from stress, anxiety, depression, grief, addictions, anger, self esteem issues, among many other mental health disorders. My clients can come from all different walks of life, different age ranges (13-65+), and expect to be treated as a one-of-a-kind and unique individual. Through seeking a professional therapeutic alliance with a mental health provider, this client has demonstrated to be proactive, and willingly taken the first step in seeking support for a healthier and happier life, and I want to be part of this journey.
Treatment methods
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a common evidenced-based type of psychotherapy and is one of the treatment modalities I offer in my private practice. CBT helps clients become aware of inaccurate or negative thinking so that they can view challenging situations more clearly and respond to them in a more effective way. CBT is a useful tool to address emotional challenges. For example, it may help clients in the following ways: Manage symptoms of mental illness, Prevent a relapse of mental illness symptoms, Treat a mental illness when medications aren't a good option, Learn techniques for coping with stressful life situations, Identify ways to manage emotions, Resolve relationship conflicts and learn better ways to communicate, Cope with grief or loss, Overcome emotional trauma related to abuse or violence, Cope with a medical illness, Manage chronic physical symptoms. Mental health disorders that may improve with CBT include: Depression, Anxiety disorders, Phobias, PTSD, Sleep disorders, Eating disorders, Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), Substance use disorders, Bipolar disorders, Schizophrenia, Sexual disorders.
Compassion Focused
Compassion-focused therapy (CFT) is a therapeutic approach that aims to help those who struggle with shame and self-criticism, often resulting from early experiences of abuse or neglect. CFT teaches clients to cultivate the skills of self-compassion and other-oriented compassion, which are thought to help regulate mood and lead to feelings of safety, self-acceptance, and comfort. The technique is similar to mindfulness-based cognitive therapy in that it also instructs clients about the science behind the mind-body connection and how to practice mind and body awareness.
Attachment-based
Attachment-based therapy is a brief, process-oriented form of therapy. The client-therapist relationship is based on developing or rebuilding trust and centers on expressing emotions. An attachment-based approach to therapy looks at the connection between an infant’s early attachment experiences with primary caregivers, usually with parents, and the infant’s ability to develop normally and ultimately form healthy emotional and physical relationships as an adult. Attachment-based therapy aims to build or rebuild a trusting, supportive relationship that will help prevent or treat mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression.
Dialectical Behavior (DBT)
Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is an evidenced-based type of psychotherapy. It’s based on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), but it’s specially adapted for people who experience emotions very intensely. Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is especially effective for people who have difficulty managing and regulating their emotions. DBT has proven to be effective for treating and managing a wide range of mental health conditions, including: Borderline personality disorder (BPD), Self-harm, Suicidal behavior, Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Substance use disorder, Eating disorders, specifically binge eating disorder and bulimia, Depression, and Anxiety. It’s important to note that the reason DBT has proved effective for treating these conditions is that each of these conditions is thought to be associated with issues that result from unhealthy or problematic efforts to control intense, negative emotions. Rather than depending on efforts that cause problems for the person, DBT helps people learn healthier ways to cope.
Motivational Interviewing
Motivational interviewing (MI) is a client-centered therapeutic technique that aims to help people change their behavior by exploring and resolving ambivalence. It's based on the idea that people are motivated to change from within, so the therapist's role is to draw out the client's own ideas and motivations. MI is characterized by a partnership-like collaboration between the therapist and the client, where the therapist is empathetic and accepting of the client's needs and experiences. The therapist doesn't impose their own opinions or act as an expert, but instead uses specific techniques to help the client find their own wisdom and ideas for change. These techniques include: Reflective listening, Shared decision-making, Eliciting change talk, and Open questions.
Location
Virtual sessions