Dr. Catherine Alvarez, Ph.D., LMHC - Therapist in Florida

Emotionally-Focused Therapy
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
Client-centered care

About Catherine

Dr. Catherine Alvarez, Ph.D., FL LMHC, has practiced for 17 years in Florida. She focuses on stress, anxiety, addictions, relationship concerns, anger, depression, trauma and abuse, grief, intimacy-related issues, sleep and eating problems, parenting challenges, self-esteem, career questions, bipolar disorder, and coping with life changes. She also lists ADHD and compassion fatigue among her areas of focus. She offers services in English and accepts international clients.

Her work draws on Emotionally-Focused Therapy as one of several approaches she uses to help people understand strong feelings and patterns that repeat in relationships. She also uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people notice thoughts and make values-based changes. Sessions are person-centered and practical, with room to talk through what matters most right now.

Dr. Alvarez brings 17 years of clinical experience to sessions. She often helps people who are carrying grief, recovering from trauma, or managing long-term stress. She helps clients name difficult emotions and consider small, concrete steps for relief and change.

Her background includes work with complex concerns such as chronic illness, caregiving stress, attachment issues, and blended family dynamics. She mentions experience with body image, commitment and communication problems, and challenges linked to aging and chronic conditions.

To begin, a person completes a short matching questionnaire and schedules a first session. Payment varies by location and uses a subscription that can be canceled at any time. The profile invites prospective clients to use the online therapy options button to proceed.

How Emotion-Focused and Values-Based Work Translates Online

Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT) helps people name and make sense of strong feelings and the patterns those feelings create in relationships. It focuses on identifying key emotions and how they shape interactions and needs. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) encourages noticing thoughts and feelings without getting stuck in them, and choosing actions that match personal values. Attachment-Based Therapy looks at how early and current attachment patterns affect trust, closeness, and emotional safety in relationships.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will talk with each person about goals, symptoms, and preferences, and recommend which combination of EFT, ACT, or attachment-based ideas best fits the situation. That plan can change as needs shift and new information emerges.

The original biography does not list specific session formats, so confirm current online options before booking. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life - for example, shorter check-ins during a lunch break, avoiding travel time, or choosing audio-only when bandwidth is limited. Licensed professionals can adapt EFT and ACT techniques to remote sessions, helping people name emotions, practice new responses, and set small action steps that fit day-to-day routines.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Stress, AnxietyAddictionsRelationship issuesAnger managementDepression

Also works with

Family conflictsTrauma and abuse Grief Intimacy-related issuesEating disordersSleeping disordersParenting issuesSelf esteemCareer difficultiesBipolar disorderCoping with life changesCompassion fatigueADHD

Additional focus areas

AbandonmentAging and geriatric issuesAntisocial personalityAttachment issuesAutism and Asperger SyndromeAvoidant personalityBlended family issuesBody imageCancerCaregiver issues and stressChronic pain, illness, and disabilityCo-morbidityCodependency Commitment issues Communication problems Control issuesDependent personalityDisruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)DissociationDivorce and separation Domestic violenceDrug and alcohol addictionEating and food-related issuesEmptinessFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsFatherhood issuesForgiveness Guilt and shameHoardingHospice and end-of-life counselingImmigration issuesImpulsivityInfidelityIntellectual disabilityIsolation / loneliness Jealousy Life purpose Men's issues Midlife crisisVeteran and Armed Forces IssuesMoney and financial issuesMood disordersMulticultural concernsNarcissismObsessions, compulsions, and OCDPanic disorder and panic attacksParanoiaPersonality disordersPhobiasPostpartum depression Post-traumatic stressPrejudice and discriminationProcess addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Self-harmSelf-loveSex addictionSexual assault and abuseSexual dysfunctionSmoking / vaping cessationSocial anxiety and phobiaSomatizationTraumatic brain injuryTrichotillomaniaWomen's issuesWorkplace issuesYoung adult issues

Therapeutic approaches

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)Attachment-Based Therapy Client-Centered Therapy Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)Existential Therapy Gottman Method Imago Relationship Therapy Jungian Therapy Mindfulness Therapy Motivational Interviewing Narrative Therapy Psychodynamic Therapy Solution-Focused Therapy Somatic Therapy Trauma-Focused Therapy Internal Family Systems

Experience

17+ years

Listed in

Florida

Languages

English

Frequently asked questions

What kinds of concerns does she address?

She lists stress, anxiety, addictions, relationship issues, anger, depression, trauma and abuse, grief, intimacy concerns, sleep and eating problems, parenting, self-esteem, career issues, bipolar disorder, and coping with life changes among her focus areas.

How would you describe her therapeutic style?

She uses Emotionally-Focused Therapy alongside Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Attachment-Based, and Client-Centered approaches to help people name emotions and try practical steps.

How much clinical experience does she have?

She has 17 years of experience working with a wide range of mental health and life concerns.

What are her credentials and where does she practice?

She is listed as FL LMHC and practices in Florida.

Which languages are supported and can international clients register?

Sessions are offered in English and she accepts international clients.

What session formats are used?

The original biography does not specify session formats; please confirm current session options before booking.

How are fees handled?

Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.

What are the first steps to start working together?

Use the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.

Profile details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. Credential and registration rules differ between the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia.