HI MY NAME IS
Lissette Arevalo
POSITIONALITY
My positionality is an important aspect of what I'd like you to know and consider when you're looking to work with me. Why? Well, I'm just a stop on your therapeutic journey and we should vibe during our time together. My lived experiences inform my values, ethics, and practices.
I identify as:
A proud Latina with Mestiza Indigenous heritage.
A former refugee of war and settler on treaty 7 land
A survivor of youth gang affiliation
A mother
A dedicated teammate and former athlete
A racialized woman
A former kid in care
An academic and research geek
A fluent speaker of Spanish language
“Did you hear about the rose that grew from a crack in the concrete? Proving nature's laws wrong, it learned to walk without having feet. Funny, it seems to by keeping it's dreams; it learned to breathe fresh air. Long live the rose that grew from concrete when no one else even cared.”― Tupac Shakur, The Rose That Grew from Concrete
EDUCATION AND TRAINING
EDUCATION
I hold a Bachelors and Masters of Social Work with a Clinical Specialization from the University of Calgary. I focused my research, academic and professional career on working with marginalized and racialized populations, particularly transitional age youth.
TRAINING/CERTIFICATES
ACT Essentials (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy)
Compassionate Inquiry Certificate
EMDR in Colour (Basic) exp. June 2022
Essentials of CBT, Beck Institute
Treating Cognitive Distortions using CBT
DBT-LBC | Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Training: Fundamentals
The Trauma of Racism: Expert Strategies to help Clients Heal, The National Institute for the Clinical Application of Behavioural Medicine
Understanding, Assessing, and Addressing Race-Based Trauma in Clinical Settings, Cognitive Behaviour Institute
Behavior Therapy Lessons with Dr. Marsha Linehan
Trauma-Informed Care for Children and Families Experiencing IPV, 21 hrs, Calgary Counseling Centre
Brain Story Certificate, Alberta Family Wellness Initiative (AFWI)
Skills for Psychological Recovery Facilitator,
Immigrant and Refugee Mental Health Certificate- CMHA
Responding to Trauma-Narrative Therapy 3 Day Intensive, Narrative Therapy Centre - Toronto
ASlST-Centre for Suicide Prevention
Wrap Around Intervention Facilitator, High Fidelity Wrap-Around
MODALITIES AND STRENGTHS
I’m focused on partnering with you to help you make the changes you want in your life. I have over a decade of experience working with various marginalized populations. My strengths are rooted in building a relationship and creating an environment of safety and stability.
Some areas of strength include:
Abuse (emotional, sexual, physical, financial)
Adolescents and Transitional Age
Anxiety
Depression
Distress tolerance
Emotional regulation
Identity Intersectionality
Race-Based Stress and Trauma
PTSD
Settlement and Acculturation
Types of Therapy Modalities used include:
Compassionate Inquiry
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT)
Narrative Therapy
Solutions-focused Therapy
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Family Systems
Feedback Informed Treatment
Strength-based theory
Emotionally Focused Individual Therapy
Liberation Therapy
Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy
Mindfulness Based Stress-Reduction
Motivational Interviewing
Prolonged Exposure Therapy
My practice is grounded in the neurobiological understanding that emotional dysregulation and distress tolerance, manifest both mentally and somatically (within our bodies). To address the physical and mental barriers that you may be experiencing, I take an integrated approach of both talk and experiential treatments.
My approach includes a trauma informed lens, anti-oppressive lens, body based integration, systems theory, attachment theory, social learning theory, and critical intersectionality theory.
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