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You learned to survive. Now let's help your body feel safe enough to connect.

Trauma-informed therapy for adults who keep ending up in the same relational patterns, feel anxious or shut down in closeness, or are tired of understanding their story without feeling any different, offered by telehealth across Florida, Colorado and PSYPACT states, in English y español.

★★★★★ Client reviews Licensed Psychologist (FL & CO) PSYPACT telehealth Relational trauma EMDR · Attachment
Dr. Jess Alpizar, licensed psychologist, smiling in a mustard sweater
Dr. Jess Alpizar, The Mindbody Psychologist logo
Kind words

In their own words.

Five stars, every review below

Reviews were shared voluntarily by clients on my website, with names withheld for privacy. Every person's experience is their own and doesn't predict your results.

How I work

Four lenses, one goal: feeling safe in your own skin and in your relationships.

No jargon required, here's what each piece means and what it can look like in session.

Your window of tolerance
The window of tolerance: a wave drifting between overwhelm above and shutdown below, settling in the middle band. OVERWHELM anxious · reactive · on guard CONNECTED present · curious · able to feel SHUTDOWN numb · foggy · far away
BeforeOver time
Much of our work is widening the middle band, so hard moments in love, work and family stop knocking you out of yourself.
Strong research base

Attachment

Why you love the way you love.

Our earliest relationships shape what feels "normal" in closeness, whether that's clinging, pulling away, people-pleasing, or bracing for the other shoe to drop, and while these patterns once made a lot of sense, they can change.

  • We notice how your patterns show up with partners, family and even with me
  • You practice a new kind of relationship in real time, in session
Clinical framework

Polyvagal-informed

Your nervous system isn't broken, it's protecting you.

Anxiety, shutdown, and irritability are often your body's survival settings rather than character flaws, so together we learn to read those states and build more access to calm and connection.

  • Mapping your own "overwhelm" and "shutdown" signals
  • Tools you can use mid-argument or mid-panic
Growing evidence

Somatic

Your body keeps part of the story.

Sometimes insight isn't enough on its own, so somatic work brings attention to breath, posture, tension, and sensation, helping change take root in your body as well as in your thinking.

  • Slowing down to notice what your body does when a topic gets hard
  • Grounding and movement, always at your pace and with your consent
Strong research base

EMDR

For memories that still feel like they're happening.

EMDR uses bilateral stimulation, like eye movements, taps, or tones, while you briefly hold a difficult memory in mind, and for many people the memory loses some of its emotional charge as old beliefs like "I'm not enough" start to loosen.

  • We prepare and build resources first, so nothing is rushed
  • You stay in control and can pause any time

About the labels: EMDR is recommended for PTSD by major treatment guidelines and attachment theory rests on decades of developmental research, while polyvagal theory and somatic approaches are useful clinical frameworks with emerging research, some of whose biological claims are still debated. I'm upfront about that, and results always vary from person to person.

Why work with me

Connection is my driving force.

Most of us were hurt in relationship, and I believe a lot of healing can happen in relationship too.

I left large hospital systems because I wanted to offer the kind of care I'd want for myself: unhurried, human, and focused on the whole person, mind and body.

With hope, Dr. Jess 🐅

A doctoral-level health psychologist

I'm trained to look at how biology, relationships, and life circumstances interact, so I consider all of you, not just a symptom checklist.

Insight plus body-based change

Talking helps, and pairing it with nervous-system and memory work often helps that change stick.

Deep experience with hard stories

From hospital trauma care to eating disorder treatment to the VA, I've sat with a lot, so your story won't scare me.

Bilingual and culturally attuned

Sessions in English or Spanish, with room for the family and cultural layers that shape how you attach.

Experience

Years in some of the hardest rooms in healthcare.

Where I've trained

  • Denver Health Hospital & AuthorityInternship: preventive, primary and acute care
  • Miami VA Medical CenterBehavioral Health Department
  • University of MiamiDepartment of Neuropsychology
  • Baptist Medical CenterFirst Choice Neurology
  • Oliver-Pyatt CentersEating disorder treatment

What I've helped with

Relational traumaAttachment & relationshipsDatingStress & traumaAnxietyDepression & moodSelf-esteem & identityLife transitionsWomen's healthChronic illnessGrief & lossEating concernsSubstance use

Credentials

  • Jessica Alpizar, Psy.D.Licensed Psychologist, Florida and Colorado
  • PSYPACT Authority to Practice Interjurisdictional TelepsychologySelf-pay telehealth in participating states
  • Clinical Health PsychologistMind-body focus
  • Trained in EMDR
Fees

Clear pricing. No surprises.

Start here

Free consult

$0
15-minute phone call

See if we're a good fit before you commit to anything.

Ongoing

Individual therapy

$200
60-minute session

Weekly to start for most people, then we adjust as you grow.

InsuranceI'm in network with Aetna for Florida residents, and everyone else is self-pay, with a superbill available so you can request out-of-network reimbursement (check with your plan, since reimbursement isn't guaranteed). Cards are accepted, and cancelling at least 24 hours ahead avoids the full session fee.
Your right to a Good Faith EstimateUnder the No Surprises Act, if you don't have insurance or aren't using it, you can get a Good Faith Estimate of your expected costs before scheduling, and if your bill comes in at least $400 above that estimate, you can dispute it. Learn more at cms.gov/nosurprises or call 1-800-985-3059.
Stay connected

Two ways in, even while my caseload is full.

Therapy waitlist

Get a note the moment a spot opens, and please keep health details and what you're going through out of this form, since we'll talk about that privately.

Free tools library

Short, practical PDFs for real-life moments, with new ones added regularly.

    Beyond 1:1

    More ways to work together.

    Coming soon

    Women's group

    A small group blending attachment and nervous-system work, and joining the free tools list means you'll hear first when it opens.

    Available

    Evaluations

    Psychological evaluations are $200 per hour, and we can talk in your consult about whether one fits what you need.

    Booking

    Workshops & speaking

    Talks for teams, schools and communities on stress, connection, and the nervous system, booked by emailing hello@drjessalpizar.com.

    Community

    The Unwell Wellness Club

    Outside the therapy room, I co-founded Unwell Wellness Club with Valentina, a Miami community where small-group events bring together nervous system work, movement, and real connection, because healing tends to go further when you're not doing it alone.

    Wild & Regulated

    @unwellclub.mia
    • In person, in MiamiCurated small-group events and workshops, open to everyone.
    • Body and mind togetherNervous system education, somatic practice, and yoga in one space.
    • Connection over performanceWellness that feels honest and human, not polished or curated for the feed.

    Unwell Wellness Club is a community and educational space, not therapy, and attending events doesn't create a psychologist-client relationship.

    FAQ

    Good questions.

    Who do you see?

    Adults, most often in their mid-20s through 50s, who are dealing with relationship patterns, anxiety, trauma, burnout, or big life changes. If you need crisis care or a higher level of support, I'm not the right fit, but I'll help you find someone who is.

    Where do you practice?

    All sessions are telehealth, and I can see clients located in Florida as well as self-pay clients in Colorado and other PSYPACT states, as long as you're physically in an eligible state during each session.

    How does the waitlist work?

    When a spot opens, I reach out to people in the order they joined who fit the opening by state, schedule, and payment, and you can say yes, wait for the next one, or ask to be removed any time.

    Do I have to do EMDR or body work?

    No, every part of this work is optional and collaborative, so we pick what fits you and you can pause or change course at any point.

    How long will therapy take?

    It depends on what you're working on, since some people notice shifts within a few months while deeper relational patterns usually take longer, and we'll check in on your progress together along the way.

    Is what I share confidential?

    Yes, within the limits of the law, such as imminent risk of harm or suspected abuse of a child or vulnerable adult, and we'll review this in detail before we begin, when you'll also receive my Notice of Privacy Practices.