It’s only after you’ve stepped outside your comfort zone that you begin to change, grow, and transform.”
– Roy T. Bennett
ABOUT ALERE
Alere translates from Latin to “to nourish, to feed or to help cause growth”. Alere Emotional Health was founded on the principle that every human being is worthy of validation, acceptance and connection.
I provide evidence-based, compassionately driven psychotherapy for individuals, couples and families.
My mission is to improve the quality and consistency of mental and emotional health for all people, as well as to promote access and reduce the stigma of mental health needs in historically underserved populations.
We all need to be acknowledged in our struggles, and Alere is here to help.
I have always been fascinated by how nature is a reflection of our human experiences. In a garden, a flower cannot bloom without nutrient rich soil, plentiful water and sunlight. You are that plant and you may feel you are missing an ingredient that will help you thrive and blossom. We are here to help you grow. I do not have a one-size fits all approach, and we will figure out what works together.
I have extensive experience and expertise in helping those experiencing traumas, depression, family conflicts, stress and anxiety, complex grief, addiction, intimacy fears, thought distortions and relationship complications. It is incredibly common that these experiences overlap and are difficult to distinguish. I can help you sort through the intersections of these and together we’ll identify where to start.
MY STYLE
“If you want to talk about you, who you are, then I’m fascinated. I’m all in. ”
– Good Will Hunting
My approach to therapy builds upon the principles of dialectics, that things in conflict both hold truth. The most important components to therapy are that you feel a deep sense of trust and emotional safety in our time together, and that we are constructively working toward your most prioritized needs or goals.
The therapeutic relationship is our most important change tool, and I will do my very best to nurture that relationship through balancing validation and understanding with compassionate challenge and push for change.
I will not merely listen, our sessions will be interactive, conversational and educational. My hope is that I can help to identify blind spots that contribute to vulnerability and promote acceptance of responsibility for change in your life.
We will explore the past and present to better understand how the problems you face have come to exist, and solely processing this is not enough. We will work together to achieve change, which will require us both to tell the truth with authenticity and courage.
I will do my best to help identify skills deficits that limit the ability to change aspects of your life, and promote validation of confidence, self-respect and self-worth. I firmly believe in the principle that you are doing the best you can, while supporting you in doing better, trying harder and being more motivated for change.
Our ultimate goal will be that you learn to feel capable and trust yourself enough to know that you will be okay no matter the unpredictable conditions of life. Alere means to nurture and to help grow. I cannot heal you, but I will offer my support and safety enough to nourish your growth in the direction you choose.
Anthony’s BIO
“The best thing we can offer another person is our true presence.”
– Thich Nhat Hanh
I first want to thank you for taking the time to get to know me. My name is Anthony Gonzalez and I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Qualified Supervisor who has practiced in the mental health and medical fields for over 15 years.
I was born and raised in Kansas City and have lived in several states over the past 20 years, with Florida being my home since 2009.
Growing up in Kansas City, my beliefs and perspectives on the injustice of the human condition and the power of human potential were indelibly shaped.
I received my Masters of Clinical Social Welfare from the University of Kansas (Rock Chalk Jayhawk!) in 2005. I was privileged to learn from incredible professors and peers, and that environment helped me to find my path as a clinician.
I also received my Bachelors of Arts from the University of Kansas in Human Development and Family Life in 2000.
I have worked in a wide range of therapeutic and medical settings, including five years in a juvenile detention center, seven years in hospice and palliative care, both inpatient and outpatient settings. I also have extensive experience in an intensive mental health outpatient setting where I was the Clinical Director of a highly respected treatment program providing mood disorders, trauma, substance abuse and eating disorders programming.
These combined professional experiences have given me insight into the unique challenges of mental health at many stages of life and how to achieve effective outcomes with many areas of emotional health.
I have extensive training and knowledge of treating many types of trauma, and I am well-versed in two evidence-based trauma treatment protocols, Prolonged Exposure Therapy and EMDR. I am also Intensively trained in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy through The Linehan Institute, which I believe is the most comprehensive treatment modality available.
The focus on balancing acceptance and change is paramount to emotional and interpersonal wellness.
My personal philosophy is to have an eternal curiosity about the human condition and experience. I have a deep passion for promoting minority mental health, as I have personally seen and experienced the insidious impact of unattended to mental health needs of marginalized communities. My hope is that I can help the cause to improve access to effective mental health services for all people and reduce the stigma of mental health in Black and Brown communities.
My style is honest and authentic, akin to Robin Williams’ character in Good Will Hunting. I want to help people be able to tell their story, while coming to an understanding and reconciliation of their past, and welcoming their present and future more openly. I look forward to meeting you and hearing your story soon.