Tina Alvarado, LMFT
(She/her)
Photo by Chelsea Barrett
Hi, I’m Tina.
I am an introvert who loves people. For a lot of my life I thought those things contradict each other until I realized that they don’t have to. I care deeply about relationships and I want to get straight to the heart of what makes a person who they are. I am much more interested in how people feel than anything else–sometimes to my detriment because surprisingly not everyone wants to talk about their feelings! I’m a middle child and an Enneagram 2 which means I’m a mediator and a helper– perfect combo for a relationship therapist.
Outside of work you can find me snuggling with my dog, tasting delicious foods, watching movies, gardening, hanging out by the water, doing some joyful movement and taking my time enjoying a delicious cup of coffee.
Education
I am a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Clinical Supervisor in the state of Washington (LF 60960483). I graduated from a COAMFTE accredited couples and family therapy program at Seattle University that integrates systems and psychological theories with spiritual formation. I chose to pursue Marriage and Family Therapy as opposed to other forms of counseling because Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists (LMFTs) are trained to broaden the traditional emphasis on the individual in order to attend to the nature and role of individuals in their primary relationship networks (aamft.org). I value a holistic approach to therapy that acknowledges the impact of the various contexts in which formation occurs. This approach benefits all of my clients—including individual clients—because no one exists in a vacuum and our interactions with other people shape our internal world in a significant way.
Experience + Training
Over the course of my career, I have gained experience in a variety of mental healthcare settings at the outpatient, intensive outpatient and partial hospitalization levels of care. In these settings, I have conducted diagnostic intake assessments, individual, couple, family, and group therapy sessions.
I have extensive experience treating clients with eating disorders, food/body concerns, healing from chronic dieting or excessive exercise, and/or working toward body acceptance. Additionally, I have worked as part of a collaborative multi-discipline treatment team and I have specific expertise in helping clients and their loved ones navigate eating disorders, treatment, and recovery. My life and practice are firmly rooted in anti-diet and health at every size (HAES) frameworks.
In addition to food and body issues, I treat a variety of clients with concerns including: anxiety, depression, family of origin issues, sexuality, intimacy, spirituality, trauma, impacts of systemic injustice, relationship issues, perfectionism, loneliness, self esteem, life transitions, grief and loss, coping skills, decision making, differentiation, identity, shame and more.
I have completed intensive training in Radically Open Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (RO-DBT), an empirically supported skills based treatment modality proven to be effective in treating disorders of overcontrol such as: treatment resistant depression, anxiety, eating disorders, perfectionism, loneliness, obsessive-compulsive personality disorder and more.
I also have advanced training in Emotionally Focused Therapy—an evidenced based treatment modality rooted in attachment theory with a significant research base and rate of improvement for individuals, couples and families.