Alejandra Alvarez

I am Alejandra Alvarez, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, who is currently leading the Family Preservation Program at El Centro Del Pueblo. I am a Mexican immigrant who completed her Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology at Pacifica Graduate Institute.  Learning about psychology has been my passion. Working in the community as a mental health clinician since 2005 has given me the opportunity to expand the knowledge and implement what I have learned. As a clinician I have learned about family dynamics, behaviors, emotions, and different levels of trauma that we experience during our lifetime. This experience led me to work as an In-home-Outreach-Counselor for the Family Preservation Program. Within this position, I grew the knowledge and understanding of child safety and learned different ways to help parents to understand the importance of ensuring the safety of their children.  The 16 years of experience as an In-Home-Outreach-Counselor, gave me the opportunity to become the director for the program.  Working with the community enhanced the understanding of the needs the community has and how best to help them. As a current director, I lead with awareness that we are all people and we all have the right to be valued and respected the way we respect and value ourselves. As a leader, I am reminded that we plant the seeds of hope and we support it by showing up for one and other as an individual and as an agency.