Marie E. Alvarez, M.S., LMHC

ABOUT ME

Marie is a Miami native. She is recognized as a compassionate, perceptive, and spirited professional. Her dedication to the mental health field is demonstrated by her motivation to expand her knowledge on the most pertinent evidence-based strategies in order to best assist her clients in navigating life’s challenges.

Marie strives to build a warm and empowering therapeutic alliance with her clients. Therapy is approached as a journey in which the therapist assists the client to gain new perspectives and insight, recognize their inner strengths, explore and process feelings in a safe space, and to begin to heal.

Different therapeutic approaches may be implemented according to the client’s needs. Marie focuses on Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical-Behavioral Therapy based skills (DBT-based), and Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing (EMDR). She acquired her certification for EMDR basic weekend 1 & 2 trainings through the EMDR Institute in 2019. “EMDR is a trauma-focused intervention designed to alleviate the distress associated with traumatic memories. EMDR therapy shows that the mind can in fact heal from psychological trauma much as the body recovers from physical trauma.” (https://www.emdr.com/what-is-emdr/) EMDR has also demonstrated effectiveness with managing anxiety, depression, phobias, attachment trauma, body image disturbance, and grief/loss.

Her approach with marital/couples therapy consists of teaching couples healthy communication skills, emotional intimacy building, constructive conflict resolution strategies, and learning how to embrace their unique and positive contributions within their relationship. She facilitates conversations with couples around modern day societal expectations of romantic relationships and marriage. Marie’s work with couples has been influenced by the research and teachings from relationship experts, such as Esther Perel and John & Julie Gottman.

Marie’s main areas of focus include the following:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Grief
• Interpersonal Relationships
• Life Transitions
• Panic Attacks
• Personal Growth
• Self-Esteem
• Social Anxiety
• Trauma

You can contact Marie at (305)-448-8325, ext. 133 or at macosta@miamicounseling.com with any questions or to schedule an appointment. She is an in-network provider with Aetna & Cigna. In addition, Marie and her colleague, Nashmia Khan, facilitate a young adult empowerment group on Thursday evenings.