Alexandra Duran, LMFT

Hello, my name is Alexandra (Ali) Duran and I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) based in Fresno, California, and working with clients statewide via telehealth. I help adults who struggle with depression and anxiety learn to regulate their challenging emotions, develop new life skills, process their history of trauma/loss, and find joy and meaning in life. I also help couples strengthen their bond with one another, improve their overall communication, and explore their joint needs, responsibilities, and dreams/goals for the future. I love my job because I get to support individuals in learning to live a more genuine and fulfilling life while also helping couples have more satisfying relationships with one another! The path to healing can be a difficult one, but you are not alone. If given the opportunity, I would be honored to be a part of your healing journey! My Approach To Treatment: My approach to therapy varies based on the individual needs of each and every client. However, my overall approach to treatment is always person-centered at its core. I strongly believe that clients are the experts on themselves, and given a safe and nonjudgmental environment (and a little bit of guidance), they are often able to find the answers/solutions they are seeking themselves. That being said, I also utilize several evidence-based approaches such as Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFS), The Gottman Method Of Couples Therapy, Solution Focused Therapy, Structural Family Therapy, and Motivational Interviewing in order to provide clients with the skills and resources that they need to be set up for success. My Focus In Treatment: I provide individual services to adults (ages 18+) of various socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds, as well as couples therapy for those seeking assistance with relational issues. The clients I work with are typically motivated for change, eager to learn and implement new skills and resources, and willing to ask questions, set boundaries, or advocate for their personal needs in session. I personally specialize in providing treatment for depression, anxiety, attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), trauma, grief, career-related stress, the exploration of gender/sexual identity, self-esteem issues, relational issues, and family issues (e.g. divorce, blended families, and behavioral, parenting, or attachment related issues). I additionally make efforts to teach my clients important life skills, (including coping and anger management skills) and help them improve their overall sleep quality, explore their values, and discover how to live a genuine life full of meaning and purpose. Please note that I am not providing evaluations and/or recommendation letters for emotional support animals, work accommodations, or other miscellaneous letter needs at this time. My Communication Style: I aim to provide a safe and warm space for you to explore your feelings, questions, and concerns. I do this by being genuine and honest, while also respecting and accepting you as you are, without judgment. My goal is to create a meaningful connection, in which you always feel seen and understood. That being said, I understand that trust comes with time, and will always make efforts to accommodate your preferred pace of treatment. During treatment, I will help you identify and appreciate your own unique strengths, as sometimes it is hard to see this in ourselves. I will also provide psychoeducation on your diagnosis/symptoms, as I strongly believe, knowledge is power. Additionally, I will provide you with a large variety of resources and skills, so that you can select the ones that best meet your individual needs. Finally, I will seek feedback about your treatment on a regular basis, so that we can track your progress and ensure that your needs are being appropriately met. My Goals For You: In treatment, I will help you identify the goals that are most important to you. Once we have established these goals, I may provide psychoeducation, skills training, resources, and referrals catered to your specific needs. However, I will always respect your right to make decisions about your own treatment, as I strongly believe that clients are the experts on themselves. Depending on your specific needs, some of the things that we may explore in treatment include addressing safety concerns (e.g. thoughts of suicide or homicide), increasing your overall feelings of hope and motivation for change, learning mindfulness/coping skills, building a support system, identifying and challenging unhelpful thoughts, exploring and processing feelings and/or trauma history, learning helpful life skills, increasing your participation in social/recreational activities, improving your overall self-esteem, exploring your personal values, and finding meaning/purpose in life. My First Session With You: During your first session, we will collaboratively discuss your needs and personal reasons for seeking therapy services. As you share this information about yourself, I may ask specific questions about your symptoms (e.g. how often are your symptoms occurring, are there any known causes/triggers for your symptoms, and how are your symptoms negatively impacting your overall life) in order to help me better identify and understand your personal needs. I will also ask you about your unique strengths, as these can be used in order to help you meet your overall goals for treatment. I will then offer some information about the services I provide in order to help us collaboratively determine whether or not we are a good fit for one another. I do this because I want to ensure that services will be a worthy investment of your time, energy, and money. If we decide that we are a good fit for one another, we will then create a plan for moving forward in treatment. If we decide to continue treatment, my hope is that this initial session will be a great starting point for building trust and rapport with one another.