Bernadette Alers-Estelle

I’m Bernadette Alers-Estelle, a BIPOC therapist with more than 20 years of experience providing psychotherapy. I work with individuals navigating PTSD, trauma, depression, anxiety, and the effects of painful or overwhelming experiences. I also support highly sensitive people, clients who want to live more authentically, and those who are ready to break intergenerational patterns and trauma. My style is warm, affirming, thoughtful, and deeply respectful of each person’s story. I believe healing begins when you feel safe enough to be seen as your whole self—not reduced to a diagnosis or defined by what you have been through. It is a privilege to support clients as they move toward self-discovery, inner healing, and a more grounded sense of who they are.

I use an integrative, trauma-informed approach rather than forcing every client into one method. Internal Family Systems (IFS), or “parts work,” is my primary lens for understanding the different parts of you, what they may be carrying, and what they may be trying to protect. Depending on your needs, I also draw from EMDR and Brainspotting to help process trauma and other experiences that feel stuck, along with somatic and transpersonal approaches that honor the connection between mind, body, emotions, and spirit. I let you and what you bring to therapy guide the work. My philosophy is that healing happens in relationship: it is not something done to you, but something we create together. You are the expert on yourself, and my role is to offer skilled support, compassion, and tools that help you build self-awareness, resilience, and meaningful change.

Your first session is a chance for us to get to know each other and begin clarifying what you want from therapy. We’ll talk about what brings you in, some of your history, and what you hope life will look and feel like on the other side of this work. You will not be pressured to have everything figured out or share more than you are ready to. I’ll also explain how I work with IFS, EMDR, Brainspotting, and other approaches so you leave with a clearer sense of what therapy may look like and which direction feels most supportive for you.

In our first sessions, we'll explore questions like: What would healing or progress look like for you? What is bothering you the most? What changes would you hope to see in your life? These conversations help guide our work together and ensure therapy is focused on what matters most to you.