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Alyssa Heskin

School

UC Santa Cruz, B.A. in Psychology / UCLA Masters in Social Welfare

License

ACSW #103338 Exp. 8/31/2023

Years of experience

5
Chat with me

Hi there! I’m Alyssa (she/her) and I specialize in working with people of all ages who have experienced trauma or mental illness. Having also been in therapy as a teenager, I know first-hand how difficult (and even sometimes awkward!) it can be to open up to a therapist. Therefore, I do my best to make therapy fun and inviting. I take a psychodynamic, strengths-focused approach with my clients. My goal is to provide a nonjudgmental space for teens to feel respected, empowered, and in control of their healing. In my free time I love to cuddle with my pug, read mystery books, and practice crocheting! My ideal client is someone who is open to exploring their behaviors by talking about their past with the intention of bettering their future. Clients usually come to me to heal from sexual assault, abuse, or mental illnesses as a result of their upbringing. I pride myself on providing patience, warmth, and a non-judgmental attitude to ensure that when clients are ready, opening up to me is safe. I also believe humor is so important to have in the therapy room and love when a client and I can have light moments to balance out the dark ones.

Speciality areas

Depression
Anxiety
Self-Harming Behavior/Suicide Risk
Romantic Relationships
Divorce/Separation
Trauma
Difficult to Engage Youth (foster youth, homeless youth, complex trauma)

Also experienced with

Panic Disorder
Eating Disorders
Cognitive Delays
Neurodiversity (ADHD, ASD, Sensory Processing Disorders)
Familial Relationships
Relationships with Peers
Sexual Identity Development
Immigration/ Immigrant Family
Cultural Diversity/ Acculturation
Anger Management
Grief/Loss
Religion
Spirituality
Attachement Difficulties

Therapeutic approaches

CBT
CPT
TF-CBT
Motivational Interviewing
Psychodynamic
Solution-Focused
Family Therapy