Gaudi Alvarado - Porta Verum Psychotherapy Services

If you feel stuck in chronic stress, overwhelmed by your emotions, or like your body is always bracing for the next thing, you don't have to keep carrying that alone.

I help adults and couples work with their nervous system — not against it — to find real relief, stability, and a steadier sense of control.

I'm a bilingual (English/Spanish) Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with over seven years of clinical experience in trauma-informed care, including earlier work as a psychologist in Costa Rica.

My background spans community mental health, school-based outpatient services, private practice, and supporting military service members and veterans.

As a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional and California State–Certified Domestic Violence Counselor, I have specialized training in trauma recovery, relational safety, and the long-term effects of abuse.

I also work with clients navigating anxiety, depression and mood disorders, grief and loss, maternal and women's mental health, dual diagnosis, and the chronic stress that comes from systemic and cultural pressures.

I welcome clients from all backgrounds and bring genuine cultural humility to every relationship.

My approach is collaborative, intentional, and paced to what your body and mind can actually hold. A core part of my work is somatic and body-based — helping you understand and work with your own neurophysiology.

When stress or trauma pushes the body out of balance — whether that shows up as feeling constantly on edge or as feeling numb, shut down, and disconnected — talking alone often isn't enough, so I incorporate Polyvagal-informed, nervous-system-focused techniques to help your body find its way back to a sense of safety and balance.

Alongside this, I draw on evidence-based methods such as CBT, ACT, DBT-informed skills, mindfulness, Motivational Interviewing, and solution-focused strategies.

I tailor everything to your goals, your readiness, and your nervous system's capacity rather than fitting you into a fixed protocol.

I believe lasting growth happens when therapy feels both supportive and empowering, never rushed.

Together we'll strengthen your coping tools, get clear on what matters most to you, and build a path forward that feels authentic, grounded, and sustainable — something you can carry with you long after our work ends.

Starting therapy can feel vulnerable, especially if you've been carrying a heavy load for a long time. Our first session is simply a place to land — a warm, supportive space where we move at a pace that feels safe and manageable.

There's no pressure to share more than you're ready to. I'll ask about what brought you in and what you're hoping for, and you'll get a sense of how I work and whether it feels like the right fit. I lead with empathy, curiosity, and compassion, and I see therapy as a partnership, so your feedback is always welcome.

My hope is that you leave that first hour feeling a little more grounded, understood, and clear on a first step forward — and knowing you won't be doing this alone.