Juanita Alvarado
M.A., Licensed Professional Counselor, EMDR Trained, DBT-Trained
“And just like the moon, you shall go through phases of light, of dark, and of everything in between. And though you may not always appear with the same brightness, you are always, always, whole.”
Pema Chödrön once said – “You are the sky, everything else -it’s just the weather” – and similarly, the journey of therapy is examining your worldview – your sky. Like the moon, you go through different phases in life, and like the stars, your constellations – you have a story. Looking up at the sky, like beginning therapy can feel vast and overwhelming – like an inexperienced astrologer who can see the stars but can’t read the signs.
As your therapist, I will sit with you, with a telescope, and help you piece together each star that tells your story. I will see the light and darkness of each of your moon phases, and help you to see that through both, you are whole. We will weather the storms, learn to dance in the rain (or at least locate an umbrella), we will celebrate the sunshine, and layer up for our midwestern winters. Through all our vastness, complexities, stories, and changes – like the sky – you are constant. I would be privileged to be a part of your journey of healing, and resilience, studying stories, and crafting new ones.
Juanita is a licensed professional counselor and earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a minor in Disability Studies, and Master of Arts in Counselor Education with a concentration in clinical mental health counseling. She has experience working with teens in academic and community settings, individuals with disabilities in residential settings, patients in hospital settings, and adults in community mental health settings. Through these diverse settings, the themes of compassion, acceptance, and shame diminishing with the sharing of stories in safe spaces were illuminated. Juanita utilizes a person-centered approach that acknowledges the fallibility of the human condition and highlights the dialectic between people doing the best they can and having the capacity to do better. In other words – we can do hard things and grow – and we can begin this journey with patience, curiosity, and willingness to meet ourselves where we are and move forward one step at a time.
Juanita provides services to clients 18+ years old, has experience working with anxiety, depression, OCD, and borderline personality disorder, and was formerly a clinician in a Comprehensive-Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) team. Juanita began training with Karuna House to continue helping individuals heal from trauma. She has completed EMDR training and is in the process of certification. Her approach involves collaboration, creativity, and utilization of clients’ strengths to heal trauma, build resilience, balance acceptance and change, and develop a strong sense of self/self-worth to aid clients in reaching their goals.
419.407.6531 | juanitaalvarado@karunahousellc.com