Welcome
If you’re here, you’re probably at a point where you’re tired of the way things are, you’re feeling stuck, and are looking for help. You’re also probably not someone who easily admits that you need help and you want to know if I can really help you with what you’re going through. On a personal level, I get it. I know what it’s like to be in a dark place and not know where to turn and who to trust to help you out of it.
I also know what it’s like to ignore the signs that all is not well. I’m someone who used to pride myself on being independent and self-sufficient–someone who got through things by intellectualizing about them. I spent a lot of my time living in my head or in books instead of really addressing my problems. But then I discovered how much I was missing out on by being disconnected from my body. And when I got reconnected, I found that my body is where all my hurts were hiding and where the key to healing resided.
One of the paths I personally took to get reconnected was therapy. I found that the type of therapists who offered me the most in the way of change and self-growth were therapists who either integrated a body-based or creative approach. Now, years later, I really love helping people befriend their bodies and discover how transformative it can be to relate to issues such as anxiety, depression, trauma, and grief through creative expressive and body-centered therapy.
My Story
As a child who grew up in the military, I traveled and lived both nationally and internationally, which gave me the opportunity to be exposed to a variety of cultures and world views. Additionally, my own family is a multicultural blend of nationalities, ethnicities, languages, and cultural traditions. Together, those experiences led me to have an abiding interest and ease in connecting with people from all walks of life.
Although I have worked in the social services field for most of my career, my path to becoming a psychotherapist was not a straight one. I originally studied energy healing and energy psychology for a number of years as both a student and patient, which eventually led me to receive a certification from a three-year program.
My studies and practice in this area contributed to a very strong personal belief that the mind, body, and energy systems are interconnected. An imbalance in one area signals unresolved emotional issues that are best addressed by treating the whole person.
However, I didn’t think my certification in this field was enough. Wanting to deepen my studies in the mind-body field, I opted to pursue and obtain a Master’s degree in Counseling with a concentration in Somatic Body Psychotherapy at Naropa University. Naropa provided a unique learning environment where Eastern wisdom studies and mindfulness practices were deeply embedded in our coursework and curriculum. To this day, I practice meditation regularly, attend meditation retreats when I’m able, and find it enormously beneficial both for myself and for my clients.
The Path To Trauma Treatment
After my graduate studies, I began working as a clinician and have been doing so for the past 10 years. During this time, I’ve treated countless patients with a variety of struggles. And what I’ve learned is at the heart of many people’s emotional unrest is trauma.
Although most people who come in for treatment report anxiety and depression, when we dig deeper, we typically find a traumatic event (minor or major) or a more complex history of childhood trauma at the root of their presenting symptoms. There is often a lot of silence, shame, and lack of general understanding of trauma, so many people struggling with a traumatic history avoid coming in for treatment for far too long. As a result of observing this, trauma treatment became an interest and passion of mine. I wanted to normalize and destigmatize the issue of trauma and help clients understand that trauma is something that most people experience at some point in their lives and that it can be overcome.
Much has been written about the limitations of talk therapy for resolving trauma. Because traumatic events affect the areas of the brain which are considered more primitive, attempts to talk or reason ourselves out of being upset or distressed are not very effective. In fact, trauma research reveals that when people are in a traumatic state, the front parts of their brains shut down. The area responsible for speech is particularly impacted. People who are pushed to talk about their trauma are sent into an even more activated state.
The Wisdom of the Body
Expressive and body-centered therapy is incredibly beneficial for trauma recovery. Clients participating in this type of therapy often find solace in learning their symptoms are normal and that there’s a clear and well-traveled path towards healing.
Embodiment means having greater awareness and self-understanding of the discomforts, sensations, and emotions that are reflected in the body. So often our body is sending out smoke signals of distress but we don’t know how to decode the messages it’s trying to convey. For example, anxiety can show up as feeling tension and being on edge. Depression can bring up feelings of heaviness and lethargy. Grief can feel like pressure in your chest. And trauma can cause the body to feel like a landmine of intolerable sensations. One of my goals as your therapist is to help you form a harmonious relationship with you mind and body by becoming fluent in the “language” of your body. This embodied experience will allow you to feel capable and confident at managing your emotional stress and any challenges you’re currently facing.
“Here in this body are the sacred rivers: here are the sun and moon as well as all the pilgrimage places...I have not encountered another temple as blissful as my own body. ”
My Style
Clients who work with me tend to appreciate my gentle yet direct approach. It’s important to me that my clients feel safe and comfortable—but not too comfortable, as I am a firm believer that growth happens at the edge of our comfort zone. I work best with clients who are ready to make a change and willing to try out new things.
As an experiential therapist, I often provide a variety of in-session “experiences,” either through the use of mindfulness, visualization, body-based exercises, art, sandplay, or writing exercises in order to support you. We will use these to get underneath the chatter and outdated stories and arrive at a place where you can discover new insights and possibilities for profound change. You deserve to live a life of wholeness and well-being. If you’re ready to move past the places where you’re stuck and start living an embodied life, please reach out by phone or e-mail to schedule your free consultation. I look forward to hearing from you.
Credentials and Education
Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), Texas, #77665
Licensed Addiction Counselor (LAC), Colorado
Master’s in Counseling with a concentration in Somatic Body Psychotherapy, Naropa University
Bachelor’s of Arts in Creative Writing, Oberlin College
Lalo Rivera, MA, LPC is a Licensed Professional Counselor with a private practice in San Antonio. She has been working in the mental health and social services field for twenty-five years. Her work describing the somatic experience of formerly incarcerated clients struggling with addiction was recently published in the book, Oppression and the Body: Roots, Resistance, and Resolutions. Lalo specializes in trauma recovery and has worked previously at various sexual assault agencies in San Francisco, Boulder, and San Antonio. Additionally, she worked as a clinician with clients in the criminal justice system struggling with addictions and trauma-related issues.