Alvin Tan
Empowering skills-based mental health support
LCSW California
- Experience
- 4 years in practice
- Focus areas
- Stress, Anxiety, Career, Depression
- Approaches
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Languages
- English
About Alvin
Alvin Tan is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) based in California who emphasizes practical, skill-focused approaches to help people manage stress, anxiety, and life transitions.
Background and approach
He draws on methods that promote clearer insight into symptoms, teach coping strategies, and strengthen problem-solving abilities so clients can regain a sense of control over daily challenges.
With four years of professional experience across inpatient and outpatient settings, he has worked with adults facing acute psychiatric crises, people in substance use disorder treatment both individually and in groups, and adults with developmental disabilities in group home environments.
His background includes both frontline clinical work and supervisory roles, as well as mentoring undergraduate and graduate students, which informs a balanced perspective on treatment and professional development. Alvin integrates evidence-informed tools to address a wide range of concerns including depression, trauma and abuse, grief, relationship and intimacy-related issues, addiction, ADHD, compassion fatigue, and social anxiety or phobia.
He welcomes collaborative work focused on building coping skills, developing support systems, and navigating practical steps toward meaningful change.
Approach-Based Online Care and Flexible Formats
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying and changing unhelpful thought patterns and behaviors to reduce symptoms like anxiety and depression; it emphasizes practical exercises and skill-building to address current problems. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) teaches emotion regulation, distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness, and mindfulness skills to help manage intense emotions and improve relationships. Motivational Interviewing supports people who are ambivalent about change by exploring personal motivations and strengthening commitment to concrete goals.
Choosing the right approach is part of the therapeutic process, and the therapist collaborates with clients to find methods that fit their needs, goals, and preferences. Together they assess which techniques to emphasize, adjust strategies over time, and focus on actionable steps that match the client’s priorities.
Online therapy is offered via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to accommodate different schedules and communication styles. These formats make it easier to maintain continuity of care while balancing work, family, or other responsibilities, and they support ongoing skill practice between live sessions.
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Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
4+ years
Licensed
California
Languages
English