Deborah Nevarez-Vivolo, LMFT
Licensed marriage & family
therapist
Specialties
Life Transitions
First-Gen Experiences
Latinx and BIPOC Experiences
Relationship Issues
Spirituality Issues
Stress & Anxiety
Depression
Codependency
Who I Work With
I work with a broad spectrum of individuals—adults, teens, transitional-age youth (TAY), older adults, cancer survivors, BIPOC and Latinx communities, LGBTQ+ individuals, and parents—supporting their self-healing and empowerment as they cultivate and maintain balance, mental well-being, and emotional wellness in their lives.
About
The compassionate, high caliber of treatment received by my family and I when utilizing community clinics and teaching hospitals, was an inspiration for my therapeutic work primarily with underserved communities over the years. I was born and raised in the Greater East Los Angeles community. I self-identify as a Chicana, and my indigenous and Catholic faith inform my psychotherapeutic approach. I serve as a strong advocate for clients who deal with systemic racism, sexism, gender inequality with compassion and professionalism, committed to upholding cultural humility, social justice and inclusion through my clinical practice. I have extensive knowledge and experience serving Latinx, LGBTQ+, BIPOC, and other marginalized communities.
Voltaire stated that “The ear is the avenue to the heart.” As each client’s story reflects their unique set of strengths, challenges, life lessons, culture and spirituality, I serve not only as an active listener, but a mirror to reflect, bear witness, illuminate and uplift to their story. I strive to offer non-judgmental assurance and validation, as we travel along a client’s self-healing journey together. I offer over a decade of eclectic, collaborative, mindful, solution-focused strengths based, client-centered and culturally sensitive approach in delivering psychotherapy services to clients.
My goal as a therapist is to facilitate a comfortable environment, wherein the client and I work together to establish therapeutic goals and treatment plans that are in the end relevant, specific, and practical. I tailor the psychotherapeutic experience as partially dialogue, but also a refuge with structure in order to the process, with a beginning, middle and end. Within this process is the creation of a relevant toolkit, based on various therapeutic modalities, which the client may readily utilize in their daily lives. I display sensitivity to the cultural needs of the clients and families I serve. I also integrate approaches tailored for trauma recovery, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Mindfulness and Somatic Therapy, specific to the needs of a client who may have experienced Domestic Violence, Intimate Partner Violence, and Adverse Childhood Experiences.
In addition to multiple other certifications and trainings, I’m a Certified ACES Aware Medi-Cal Provider. I also have demonstrated proficiency in a range of evidence-based practices, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Solution-Focused Brief Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, trauma-focused work, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, Somatic approaches, and Internal Family Systems Therapy.
Off the Clock
I enjoy nature walks, art museums, cultural events, the driving range, practicing an active faith-based life, spending time with family, reading a variety of genres and a regular participant in writing workshops and opportunities to promote the spoken word and the arts. A published author, I am completing a family memoir tentatively entitled: For Such A Time As This: The Nevárez Family Lifetime of Ministry and Service
Education
B.A. in Political Science: University of California, Los Angeles
M.A. in Marriage and Family Therapy: Pacific Oaks College, School of Cultural and Family Psychology
Certifications
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Beyond the Senses
Trauma Therapy
Healing Trauma: African American Urban Youth
QPR Training/Indigenous Considerations
UCLA ISAP Perinatal Substance Use
Working with OCD
Beyond Binary: Gender Diversity
Motivational Interviewing
Anger Management/Conflict Resolution
Crisis Intervention/Risk Assessment