Hola! My name is Arelie and I am a licensed mental health professional in the states of New York and New Jersey. I have been practicing for about 6 years and I am currently employed at a partial hospitalization program for children in NJ and in private practice working with teens, adults and couples. I am a bilingual, trauma-informed multicultural counselor that seeks to identify and make connections on how your cultural upbringing interacts with development and behaviors. My areas of focus include addressing trauma, stress, anxiety, depression, ADHD, and a wide variety of life’s problems including family, parenting, relationships, marriage and social interactions. In my practice I utilize a wide range of therapeutic approaches mainly based in cultural identity, socio economic status and social justice.
As a clinician I work with families, children, teens, adults and couples in various capacities. Some I see in private practice others are enrolled in a partial hospitalization program. The most common issues I work on with my clients include family issues, difficulties related to cultural background, immigration status and language barriers, stress, anxiety, depression, relationship and social difficulties as well as overall emotional and behavioral management. I do this work to be the safe place for individuals struggling with various life problems. My goal is to be that familiar face in the therapy room for Latinos, women, people of color and all individuals from underserved populations. With the use of multicultural counseling, CBT, person centered approaches, mindfulness coaching, skill building, trauma informed techniques, family and couples therapy I have walked with clients through several problems. The most apparent changes I see for my clients is an increase in self esteem and self advocacy, reduced somatic symptoms of trauma, anxiety and depression. Willingness for change, active engagement in learning and practicing social/emotional and coping skills. My clients learn to accept who they are and what their needs are with a strong emphasis on establishing necessary boundaries in their everyday lives to promote overall mental wellbeing.
In addition to being a licensed mental health professional I am also an advocate for social justice and mental health awareness. I utilize my social media platforms to spread accurate and reliable mental health information. I am an author of 3 self esteem journals including a daily adult journal in English and Spanish and a specialized self esteem journal for children. I recently was nominated and chosen to be a speaker at a Tedx event in NYC in which I will be using my expertise to discuss human behavior. I am a mom, a woman, a wife, a Latina and a lover of culture and differences which makes me a safe place for so many people out there. I strive to provide low cost quality mental health services to people of all walks of life.
Education
- Clinical Mental Health Counseling MA
- Psychology BS
- CUNY College of Staten Island
Why I Write for Choosing Therapy
I sought out and became a writer for Choosing Therapy in hopes to reach a bigger audience of individuals struggling with their cultural identity, language barriers, life problems including family and social issues. It is my hope to author culturally sensitive pieces that speak to the underserved populations all over the country. I write for ChoosingTherapy.com because I respect their high editorial standards. I love knowing every article my content appears alongside has been written by a licensed mental health provider, carefully edited, and medically reviewed.
“If you are here because you are experiencing your first mental health crisis I want you to know that it’s ok, it’s normal to struggle and whatever you may be going through is not permanent. Feelings are not facts and you can choose how to interact and react to the things that are stressing you at the moment. You have come to the right place, a place to seek healing and I am here to walk you through it.
Arelie Estevez, LMHC
