- Acceptance - Connection - Honesty
- Acceptance - Connection - Honesty
What is to
feel authentic?
Our Therapists
“Therapy is certainly life changing, especially when clients can make sense of their behavioral patterns and symptoms to obtain desired outcomes. I aimed at promoting a more comprehensive understanding of unconscious processes to overcome inner and interpersonal conflicts that come from unresolved painful experiences”.
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Dalissa Nevarez, Psy.D
She | Her | Hers
Co-Founder of Feelthentic Therapy Group, PLLC
Licensed in NY, Florida and Puerto Rico & PSYPACT states.
Dr. Nevarez is a bilingual (English/Spanish) Clinical Psychologist licensed in New York, Florida and Puerto Rico. She is also authorized under PSYPACT legislation to provide telehealth services to residents of any of the states listed at the end of this bio.
She obtained her doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology from Ponce Health Sciences University in Puerto Rico, her home country. She also obtained her Post- Doctoral Fellowship from the well-renounce Mount Sinai Morningside Hospital/ Icahn School of Medicine of New York City, NY.
Dr. Nevarez has vast training experience working with adults impacted by trauma-related disorders, such as complex trauma, generational trauma and post- traumatic stress. Throughout her career she has also treated adults with a broader range of diagnoses including anxiety, depression, addiction, severe psychotic disorders and personality disorders.
Moreover, Dr. Nevarez has treated patients from a wide age range, including children, adolescents, adults and elders. She has also trained in Health Psychology, helping people with acute and chronic medical conditions such as HIV, gastrointestinal-related diseases, terminal illnesses and neurocognitive disorders.
She has trained and worked at different well-known hospitals in New York City, including New York-Presbyterian Columbia University Irving Medical Center. Mount Sinai Morningside and the Mount Sinai Hospital. Her heartfelt approach to treatment has been her best personal asset when working with underserved populations in the public health system of Puerto Rico, New York City, and Long Island, including the Medical Center of Puerto Rico, San Juan; Roberto Clemente Family Center at NYC Health + Hospitals/Gotham Health; and Nassau University Medical Center; where she has worked with BIPOC, LGBTQA+, and inmates.
As part of her diverse clinical experiences, in both Puerto Rico and New York, Dr. Nevarez has provided individual, group and family therapy from psychodynamic, trauma-informed and behavioral frameworks. Some of which included: Psychodynamic psychotherapy (long-term and short-term), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Motivational Interviewing (MI), and other treatments for psychosis. Moreover, she holds additional clinical certifications on Complex Trauma (level 1 & 2) and Internal Family Systems (IFS- level 1).
Prior to creating her private practice, she worked as a faculty member and assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at the World Trade Center Mental Health Program (WTC-MHP) at the Mount Sinai Hospital/Icahn School of Medicine, in New York City. As part of her commitment to helping trauma survivors, first responders, veterans, and immigrants who were impacted by the September 11th attacks, she continues to provide psychotherapy services, in both English and Spanish, to 9/11 survivors as an external provider for the World Trade Center Health Program.
List of states under PSYPACT legislation:
Alabama -
Arizona -
Arkansas -
Colorado -
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands -
Connecticut -
Delaware -
District of Columbia -
Florida -
Georgia
Idaho -
Illinois -
Indiana -
Kansas -
Kentucky
Maine -
Maryland -
Michigan -
Minnesota -
Missouri -
Nebraska -
Nevada -
New Hampshire-
New Jersey -
North Carolina -
North Dakota -
Ohio -
Oklahoma -
Pennsylvania-
Rhode Island -
South Carolina -
Tennessee -
Texas -
Utah
Virginia-
Washington -
West Virginia -
Wisconsin -
Wyoming -
“In a judgment-free space, therapy can lead to a real connection with our parts of being. My commitment is aimed at providing a space sensitive to diversity and safe for self-expression and help you navigate life situations in an authentic way.”
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Paula A. Negrón López, Ph.D.
Post-Doctoral Fellow
She | Her | They | Them
Dr. Negrón-López is a bilingual (Spanish/English) Clinical Psychologist who obtained her doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology from Ponce Health Sciences University in Puerto Rico, her home country.
She has worked in a variety of health and hospital settings with a wide age range including children, adolescents, adults, and elders. She has trained in Health Psychology, working with chronic medical conditions such as, HIV, Fibromyalgia, Multiple Sclerosis, and neurocognitive disorders, providing emotional support to both patients and caregivers.
Throughout her training she has treated a broad range of diagnoses including anxiety, depression, addiction, and personality disorders. She has also worked with adherence to treatment and adjustment to medical diagnoses.
From her training in health psychology, she has directed her approach to treatment encouraging the exploration of how our social and cultural context impacts our unconscious processes of being. She has provided therapy in a variety of frameworks including Motivational Interviewing (MI), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT).
She has also worked with non-profit organizations to provide emotional assistance to children and families living in rural and underserved communities in Puerto Rico from the Liberation Psychology framework. Her interests include LGBTTQIA+, Sexual and Reproductive Health, Health Psychology, Social and Community Psychology, and Art Expression.
Throughout her training as clinical psychologist has worked towards promoting understanding of the complexities surrounding sexuality and sexual identity. In her role as researcher, she has empowered women to deconstruct ideas that limited their connection with their bodies and pleasure. Her doctoral dissertation was titled “Salud Sexual y Reproductora y el Fingimiento del Orgasmo en la Mujer Puertorriqueña: Un Estudio Cualitativo.” Her research work has enriched her role as a therapist, as she continues to foster these conversations sexual and reproductive health to improve client’s well-being and pleasure in the therapy space. This, while also promoting a safe space to explore other painful experiences that might have limited client’s sexual connection and expression.
“I believe in the capacity of every person to make changes to improve themselves. I aspire to offer a space where you can feel safe and supported in reaching the best version of yourself and creating the changes you want to see”.
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Deborah Montalvo, Psy.D
She | Her | Hers
Licensed in Puerto Rico, and in Florida (for tele-health services only).
Dr. Montalvo is a bilingual (Spanish/English) Clinical Psychologist licensed in Puerto Rico. She completed her doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology at the Ponce Health Sciences University in Puerto Rico, her home country. Since the beginning of her career, she has dedicated to helping the underserved through community services, research projects, and clinical interventions. She has offered psychotherapy to Spanish-speaking and English-speaking people from a wide range of ages and socio-cultural backgrounds and with different psychosocial needs.
Dr. Montalvo has trained and worked in varied settings, including medical inpatient and outpatient scenarios, offering services through individual, family, and group modalities. She has provided psychotherapy to individuals with complex trauma histories, such as immigrants, veterans, young inmates, LGBTTQ+, and survivors and perpetrators of violence. Across her psychology career, she has functioned as a research assistant, teaching assistant, and clinician.
She has trained and worked in the New York City Area, including the Roberto Clemente Center, the Cayuga Centers Home for Children, and the Northport VA Medical Center. Dr. Montalvo obtained postdoctoral training with the Veterans Health Administration, specializing in Health Promotion/Disease Prevention and Primary Care Mental Health. She delivered integrated care to patients with mental and medical comorbidities by consulting and collaborating with other professionals. Additionally, she has provided training and consultation to interdisciplinary teams, students, trainees, and colleagues. She trained in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, Motivational Interviewing, and Psychodynamic Psychotherapy. Dr. Montalvo continued her clinical work as Staff Psychologist within the Veterans Health Administration in Florida and Puerto Rico.
Throughout her career, she has integrated humanistic, systemic, and psychodynamic views into her clinical practice. She has applied evidence-based practices such as cognitive-behavioral, acceptance-based, and trauma-informed approaches, tuning interventions to the needs of her clientele. Dr. Montalvo has conducted brief and long-term psychotherapeutic treatment for individuals suffering from post-traumatic stress, anxiety, and mood disturbance. She has also facilitated interventions to effectively manage medical conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and chronic pain.
Dr. Montalvo is committed to delivering sensitive care to an ethnically and culturally diverse population, honoring their values and preferences. She believes in treating clients holistically, simultaneously addressing their psychological, physical, spiritual, and social concerns to facilitate recovery. Dr. Montalvo sees the psychotherapeutic space as one that enables growth and healing through the interaction and collaboration of two human beings.
“Establishing a warm, trusting, nurturing, supportive and non-judgmental relationship has been the hallmark of my many years of experience. As a therapist, I offer a framework and a space that can lead to corrective emotional experiences and a more satisfying life and relationships.”
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Santos Vales, Ph.D
He | Him | His
Licensed in NY and in Florida (for telehealth services).
Dr. Vales, a native New Yorker, is a bilingual, bicultural (Puerto Rican descendant), English/Spanish speaking Clinical Psychologist currently in private practice licensed by the state of New York. He is also the resident clinical supervisor for the Psychological Center, the training clinic for the City College of New York, clinical psychology doctoral program. He completed his Doctoral Degree in Clinical Psychology at Teachers College/Columbia University. That was followed by his continued training as an Intern in the Clinical Psychology Program at New York Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center where upon completion he continued his career for 23 years as a staff clinical psychologist and as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry, Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons. His role as an educator included the supervision of trainees within both the New York Presbyterian/Columbia University Clinical Psychology Externship and Internship Programs as well as Psychiatry Interns. In addition to working with trainees, Dr Vales led a twice monthly consultation supervision group for supervising Clinical Psychologists, Psychiatrists and Clinical Social Workers.
Dr Vales works from a psychodynamic (relational/interpersonal) approach with some CBT/DBT when appropriate. He has worked with a diverse population including Bipoc and Non-Bipoc adolescents, adults, geriatric, physically handicapped persons and the LBGTQ community. His areas of treatment focus have included depression, anxiety, complex/generational trauma, stress management, substance abuse, bereavement, relationship issues, aging, and chronic pain just to mention a few. Dr Vales carries a wealth of experience in the treatment of Alcohol and Substance Misuse Disorders. Prior to his training as a clinical psychologist, he was a certified alcohol and substance abuse counselor (CASAC) licensed by the state of New York and worked for many years in many modalities of treatment including Detox, Intensive Outpatient and Inpatient Rehab. Upon completing his internship training he was the alcohol and substance abuse counselor in the New York Presbyterian Outpatient Clinic and in the Psychiatric Emergency Room (CPEP) before moving on to the Latino Psychiatric Community Clinic.
Making the decision to enter the therapy process is usually motivated by experiences in a person’s life that have resulted in loneliness, emptiness and feeling unfulfilled. Sadness, disappointment, and anger over relationships that have failed to satisfy the person’s needs are commonly expressed experiences. Feeling heard and understood generates a sense of hope and stimulates movement toward insight through exploration and examination of one's inner
life. Establishing a warm, trusting, nurturing, supportive and non-judgmental relationship has been the hallmark of Dr Vales’ 30+ years of experience as a helping professional. In your work with Dr Vales, he will offer a framework and a space that can lead to corrective emotional experiences and a more satisfying life and relationships.
“Therapy can be a rewarding process where both the therapist and client learn from each other. As a therapist, I approach each session with cultural humility, in efforts to create a safe and open therapeutic relationship, which can help clients put their experiences into words”.
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Marilenny Herrera, M.S.
She | Her | Hers
Marilenny is a bilingual (English/Spanish) fourth-year student in the Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program at Long Island University-Post. As a Clinical Psychologist in training , she is practicing under the license of Dr. Nevarez to offer services in Puerto Rico, New York and Florida.
In her program, she co-leads Spanish for Mental Health Professionals, a student-led organization, which helps in embracing cultural differences and promote services to Hispanic communities. She is also part of the Alliance and Psychotherapy Process Lab, focusing on therapeutic ruptures and repairs.
Through her academic and clinical training, she has acquired a strong foundation in both cognitive-behavioral and psychodynamic orientations when working with children, adolescents, and adults. She has provided individual and group therapy from a psychodynamic approach, while integrating cognitive-behavioral techniques when appropriate, as well as individual therapy using an Affect Phobia model.
She has worked with culturally diverse individuals experiencing a wide range of clinical presentations such as anxiety, mood disorders, adjustment disorders, and post-traumatic stress-related symptoms. Her clinical experiences have also allowed her to provide treatment to adults with personality disorders and psychotic disorders, and conduct psychological assessments, in inpatient and outpatient settings.
As an Afro-Latina, Spanish-speaking psychologist in training, she understands the complexities of navigating multiple identities. For this reason, she aims to foster a culturally sensitive environment, where clients can feel comfortable expressing themselves freely while integrating aspects of their identity.
The culture of our clinic is supportive and strength-based. We work as a team and hold each other in high regard.
Cultivating caring and supportive relationships within ourselves and with our clinical staff is the key to provide high quality services to our clients.
About Us
We are a group of bilingual (English/Spanish) Latinx/e licensed clinical psychologists based in New York City, Florida and Puerto Rico. We provide online psychotherapy to clients who otherwise don’t have the time to drive to the doctor’s office and/or would like take care of their mental health in the comfort of their homes.
We work from an integrative, culturally sensitive, trauma-informed treatment approach that is tailored to our client's needs. Our clinicians have comprehensive clinical training in treating adults from a psychodynamic, humanistic, systemic, and behavioral frameworks.
Here we help clients obtain a deeper understanding of the origin and meaning behind the presenting symptoms, such as interpersonal difficulties, feeling stuck in an area of your life, and/or significant changes in your mood.
Moreover, we will guide you to explore parts of yourself that are holding burdens of painful experiences, which could be scary to explore alone.
Our interventions are scientifically and clinically supported by theories of the human psyche and behavior. We go beyond the prescription of coping techniques by exploring the messages the symptoms communicate as they show up in different forms of emotional and physiological pain.
Therapy with us?
Learn more about our therapy approach