Alvis Duncan

Hi, I’m Alvis — a Licensed Mental Health Counselor based in Gainesville, FL.

Before counseling, I spent years in the health and fitness industry in New York City, helping clients who felt stuck or overmatched in their goals. I later trained in spiritual wellness at St. Andrew’s Church here in Gainesville. Both experiences taught me the same lesson: real growth means working with mind, body, and spirit together. It brings me immense joy to see my clients go from stuck to flourishing.

I work with adults, couples, families, adolescents, and college students.

I specialize in anxiety, depression, substance abuse, codependency, family and couples counseling, and life transitions.

I lean more on an integrative approach than a single fixed theory. My conceptual framework is the Interpersonal Process Approach, which lets me collaborate creatively with each client based on their specific needs. In practice, that means I draw on Attachment Theory, Cognitive Behavioral Theory, and Family Systems Theory — woven together with a wellness lens — to meet you where you are.

Your first session is really about getting to know each other. I want to understand what brought you in, what’s been weighing on you, and what you’re hoping to get out of counseling — no pressure to have it all figured out or say it perfectly.

I’ll ask about your background and current situation, and we’ll talk through logistics like goals and how often we’ll meet. But just as important, this session is a chance for you to get a feel for me and my approach, and decide if it’s the right fit. I want you to leave feeling heard, not evaluated.

I bring a wellness mindset to our work together — looking at mind, body, and spirit as connected, not separate. So while we’ll cover the basics of what’s going on for you, I’m also curious about the whole picture: your relationships, your routines, what gives you energy and what drains it.

There’s no script you need to follow. Come as you are, and we’ll take it from there.