- Acceptance - Connection - Honesty
- Acceptance - Connection - Honesty
What is to
feel authentic?
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.
Our Therapists
“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.”
-
Santos Vales, Ph.D
He | Him | His
Co-Founder of Feelthentic Therapy Group, PLLC
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 has the potential to bring great hope and excitement about the future. Guiding patients to find answers within themselves in a safe space, where they could be their authentic selves, is always at the center of my work as a therapist”.
-
Diana Puñales, Ph.D
She | Her | Hers
Co-Founder of Feelthentic Therapy Group, PLLC
Licensed in NY and in Florida (for telehealth services).
Dr. Diana Puñales is a Columbia University-trained Latinx licensed psychologist, fluent in Spanish and English. Dr. Puñales centers her work on the intersection of mental health and culture. Her psychodynamic approach to treatment promotes the exploration of unconscious processes that impact one’s feelings, thoughts and behaviors.
Her areas of expertise include immigration and Latinx psychology, developmental trauma and health psychology. Dr. Puñales has extensive clinical experience in treating professionals and with minoritized clinical populations providing individual, group, couples, and family therapy. She is actively involved in the training of doctoral students, faculty, and clinical staff in the area of diversity, equity and inclusion and multicultural competencies.
Dr. Puñales is the Director of The Psychological Center which is the training clinic for the Clinical Psychology PhD Program at The City College of New York. She serves on the Leadership Council of the Doctoral Program and the Diversity and Social Justice Committee. Dr. Puñales is also on the Graduate Faculty of Arts and Sciences at the City University of New York.
Additionally, Dr. Puñales is active in providing psychological evaluations for individuals seeking asylum in the State of New York and Co-Directs the Asylum Justice Program at The City College of New York. She was also the Clinical Director/Supervising Psychologist for the Adult Outpatient Psychiatry Service at Columbia University Medical Center/New York Presbyterian Hospital where she also served as an Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry in the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.
“Therapy is certainly life changing, yet is also a very intimate and vulnerable process. Even for us therapists, when we get to sit on the other side of the ‘couch’ ourselves. That’s why I approach this space with so much compassion and genuineness to help clients navigate those uncomfortable topics and painful life experiences”.
-
Dalissa Nevarez, Psy.D
She | Her | Hers
Co-Founder of Feelthentic Therapy Group, PLLC
Licensed in NY, Florida and Puerto Rico.
Dr. Nevarez is a bilingual (English/Spanish) Clinical Psychologist licensed in New York, Florida and Puerto Rico. She obtained her doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology from Ponce Health Sciences University in Puerto Rico, her home country.
She 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.
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.
-
Deborah Montalvo, Psy.D
She | Her | Hers
Licensed in Puerto Rico.
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 been 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.
“I believe in the capacity every person has to make changes in improve themselves. I aspire to helping clients reach the best version of themselves by exploring all their unique qualities that will guide them make the changes they want to see in their lives”.
“Reconocer los factores psicosociales que impactan la vida de las personas es clave en el proceso de terapia. Como terapeuta, promuevo el entendimiento de los multiples factores que impactan la salud mental y emocional, como el contexto de donde vivimos, nuestra cultura y las experiencias individuales que forman quienes somos”.
-
Cynthia Figueroa, Ph.D
Ella
Licenciada en Puerto Rico
La Dra. Figueroa es una psicóloga clínica puertorriqueña formada en la Pontificia Universidad Católica de Puerto Rico. En su rol como alumna, tuvo la oportunidad de practicar en espacios variados dentro y fuera de Puerto Rico. Entre ellos, ha trabajado con inmigrantes en la ciudad de Nueva York, bajo un enfoque ecológico/sistémico y de justicia social. Como parte de su compromiso con la justicia social y la psicología de la liberación, a través de sus años de experiencia como psicóloga licenciada, ha trabajado con poblaciones diversas, incluyendo la comunidad LGBTQI+, personas sin hogar y sobrevivientes de violencia.
Aparte de su vasta experiencia trabajando en escenarios con enfoque comunitarios, la Dra. Figueroa se ha desempeñado como profesora de la Universidad Interamericana de Puerto Rico, recinto metropolitano, educando a estudiantes que aspiran alcanzar un grado académico de neuropsicología. Además, ha practicado en espacios especializados en la psicología de la salud, promoviendo el cuidado integral de la salud física y emocional, donde ha ofrecido psicoterapia a personas con enfermedades de salud crónicas o agudas que impactan su bienestar emocional. La Dra. Figueroa, también se desenvuelve como terapeuta trauma-informada en un centro dirigido a víctimas del crimen, donde promueve el manejo, entendimiento y resolución de las diferentes implicaciones psicosociales que tienen los traumas en la vida de las personas impactadas.
La Dra. Figueroa trabaja de modo integrativo, donde utiliza diferentes modalidades terapéuticas ajustadas a las necesidades del cliente. Sus modelos de intervención incluyen bases cognitiva-conductuales, sistémicas/ecológicas y humanistas. Dentro de sus áreas de tratamiento se desglosa el manejo de estrés, ansiedad, depresión, procesos de ajuste entre otras experiencias traumáticas que han impactado la vida de personas en el transcurso de sus vidas. La finalidad que busca la Dra. durante el proceso de terapia es ofrecer un espacio seguro y cómodo donde lxs personxs se sientan escuchadxs, y empoderadxs para promover el desarrollo de las habilidades que les permitan enfrentar los retos que les presenta la vida.
Therapy with us?
Learn more about our therapy approach