Alena Bell

I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist from California, currently based in the SF Bay Area. I received my Masters degree in Clinical Psychology from San Francisco State University. I specialize in working with Complex Trauma and I have been in private practice for 6 years. I have almost 10 years of clinical experience working with clients from various backgrounds and in various settings, from school-based clinics to community mental health settings.

I love working with individuals who are curious about themselves. I am most interested in working with clients who want to gain deeper insight into their current patterns or behaviors and want to explore the impact of their lived experiences on who they are today. I enjoy working with clients from a wide range of backgrounds and identities, though my focus is on providing a safe therapy space to women and POC.

I specialize in the treatment of Complex Trauma. Complex trauma recovery is holistic and relational in nature, bringing into focus the entire person and their current level of functioning. Complex trauma work primarily focuses on improving our emotional regulation skills, stress response and interpersonal functioning abilities.

I am client-centered and relational in my approach to therapy, meaning I truly like to get to know my clients on a personal level and I hold a deep level of compassion for the struggles we all face as people. I create a safe space for my clients to explore the challenges most greatly impacting their quality of life.

In our first session together we will review your intake and assessments. I like to take this time to clarify the information you provided and ask additional questions to better understand your challenges and your goals for therapy. This initial session allows for us both to determine if working together would be a good fit, moving forward. This session and all future sessions are 50-minutes in length.