Alicia  Velez
Vetted

Alicia Velez

She/Her/Hers

Licensed Clinical Social Worker, LCSW Specialties Insurance & Fees Locations
New York, Colorado Accepting Online
Brooklyn Navy Yard, Table Mesa Not Accepting In-person
Updated January 18, 2024

Specialties & Expertise

  • Anxiety
  • Race & cultural identity
  • Work stress
  • Depression
  • Relationship issues
  • Life transitions

Professional statement

Alicia Velez is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Brooklyn, NY who collaborates with adults ages 18-45 to feel better and live healthier lives. Many of her clients feel stuck just going through the motions. They are struggling to navigate their careers, relationships, and identities. Not knowing what to do or where to turn, her clients often feel overwhelmed, anxious, stressed, and hopeless. Alicia believes therapy can provide relief by providing a supportive and compassionate environment where clients can activate their inherent strengths to solve their own problems with a little bit of introspection and guidance.

Alicia takes a holistic approach to therapy. Her practice is informed both by a humanistic perspective that accounts for the impact of culture, race, migration, and intergenerational family dynamics on a client and research-supported behavioral therapies (ACT, CBT, and DBT). She works with clients to examine and understand how their language, thoughts, and feelings influence their behavior. She also teaches clients practical emotion regulation skills to help clients feel better in moments of distress. This combination of talk-therapy and skill-building supports clients in becoming self-sufficient, empowered, emotionally healthy adults who are able to address their own wants and needs and live a more satisfying life.

Alicia understands that therapy can be a vulnerable experience. Alicia’s style is warm, empathic, and conversational. She believes in mutual exchange in relationships; therefore, she participates actively in sessions and also welcomes feedback from her clients. Her goal is to make her clients feel heard, seen, understood and validated.

Alicia has a particular interest in working with individuals who may have come from cultural or socioeconomic backgrounds where mental health was not spoken about. She believes that breaking this cycle can be liberating and empowering, giving clients the chance to change the family narrative for subsequent generations to come.


Message to clients

It's not easy out there. We are all doing the best we can with what we know and the skills we have. Sometimes our feelings become overwhelming. We engage in behaviors that maybe are not the healthiest or we're not the most proud of. We may argue with loved ones, throw ourselves into work, party, or isolate altogether. Then there are those thoughts that come flying after, "Why did I do that? How come I always make the same mistake? No one is ever going to love me. If I just push a little harder, everything will be all right." 

Any of this sound familiar? If it does, just know you are human and there is no single person who has not felt what you are feeling, myself included. In therapy, you will learn how to manage these difficult feelings, behaviors, and thoughts. We will examine how these may have served you in the past and why they may no longer be working for you in the present. We will consider alternative perspectives and learn new skills to live a life that is more aligned with your values. We will also look at language and get to know our inner-critics and work on changing the way we talk to ourselves. Starting therapy is just one goal out of many that we can accomplish together. You have the ability to write your own story, so let's get started.

For those clients who like exercising or movement, ask me about Amble-and-Ramble therapy!


Specialties

Anxiety - Coping with excessive worry, nervousness, or stress; intense discomfort in social settings (social anxiety); sudden and intense feelings of panic (panic disorder)

Race & cultural identity - Exploring topics of racial, cultural, and ethnic background as it relates to one’s family origins and personal identity

Work stress - Managing overwhelming stress and expectations; increasing effective ways of restoring and maintaining emotional stability and health; addressing challenging relationships with coworkers and bosses

Depression - Providing support and promoting healing of hopelessness, low motivation and energy, sadness, irritability, sleep disturbance, and loss of interest and pleasure in life

Relationship issues - Understanding one’s wants and needs in relationships; exploring patterns of interaction, addressing concerns, and strengthening satisfaction in relationships and dating

Life transitions - Coping with difficult or impactful life changes, such as moving to a new area, relationship transitions, child rearing, or career changes; learning self-care to better manage resulting stress




Clientele

  • Adults (24+)
  • Young adults (18-24)

Insurance

Alicia Velez is not in-network with any insurances.

Read about the benefits of seeing an out-of-network provider here.


Out-of-pocket fees

  • Individual sessions: $165 (60min)
  • Initial session: $165 (60min)
  • Individual Sessions: $130 (45min)

Additional session information

Out-of-network billing options

This provider can support you in getting reimbursement from your insurance company if you are seeking out-of-network reimbursement. Here are the out-of-network billing options they provide:

  • Super billing
Payment options
  • Cash
  • Check
  • Credit Card
  • Debit Card
  • PayPal
  • Venmo
  • Zelle
Session frequency

Frequency of sessions this provider offers to see clients once you are an established client.

  • Weekly
  • Every other week
  • Multiple times a week
Therapist's note

If you think the fee may be outside of your budget, but feel like you might want to work with me, don't get discouraged. Let's talk and see if we can work something out.


Location(s)

Online Sessions (New York)
Accepting new clients online
Currently Available Times
  • Morning (Before 10am)
  • Daytime (10am - 1pm)
  • Afternoon (1pm - 5pm)
  • Evening (After 5pm)
  • Weekends
Regular Hours
  • Mon Closed
  • Tue 8:00AM-6:30PM
  • Wed 8:00AM-6:30PM
  • Thu 8:00AM-6:30PM
  • Fri 8:00AM-3:00PM
  • Sat Closed
  • Sun Closed

Brooklyn Navy Yard practice
120 Washington Ave, Brooklyn, New York 11205
Not accepting new clients in-person
Currently Available Times
  • Morning (Before 10am)
  • Daytime (10am - 1pm)
  • Afternoon (1pm - 5pm)
  • Evening (After 5pm)
  • Weekends
Regular Hours
  • Mon Closed
  • Tue 8:00AM-6:00PM
  • Wed 8:00AM-6:00PM
  • Thu Closed
  • Fri 8:00AM-12:00PM
  • Sat Closed
  • Sun Closed

Online Sessions (Colorado)
Accepting new clients online
Currently Available Times
  • Morning (Before 10am)
  • Daytime (10am - 1pm)
  • Afternoon (1pm - 5pm)
  • Evening (After 5pm)
  • Weekends
Regular Hours
  • Mon Closed
  • Tue 7:00am-5:00pm
  • Wed 7:00am-5:00pm
  • Thu 7:00am-5:00pm
  • Fri 7:00am-12:00pm
  • Sat Closed
  • Sun Closed

Table Mesa practice
Not accepting new clients in-person
Currently Available Times
  • Morning (Before 10am)
  • Daytime (10am - 1pm)
  • Afternoon (1pm - 5pm)
  • Evening (After 5pm)
  • Weekends
Regular Hours
  • Mon Closed
  • Tue 7:00AM-6:00PM
  • Wed 7:00AM-6:00PM
  • Thu 7:00AM-6:00PM
  • Fri 7:00AM-1:00PM
  • Sat Closed
  • Sun Closed

Work and Education

CUNY John Jay College, Social Worker/Counselor, 2021 - 2023
CUNY Hunter College, Social Work Supervisor/Field Instructor, 2020 - 2022
Veterans Affairs Hospital, Social Worker, 2018 - 2020
Interborough Developmental and Consultation Center, Therapist, 2019 - 2020
Mount Sinai Hospital, Social Worker, 2016 - 2018
LaGuardia Community College, Social Worker, 2014 - 2015

PESI, Certificate in Acceptance & Commitment Therapy, 2021
Beck Institute for Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Certificates in CBT for Depression & Anxiety , 2020
Silberman School of Social Work at CUNY Hunter College, MSW, 2016
Bowdoin College, B.A. Spanish, 2008


Licensure

New York: 089435

Colorado: CSW.09929413


Languages

English


Professional endorsements

"Alicia has diverse social work education, training, and practice experience. This diverse expertise means that Alicia can quickly yet thoroughly and warmly engage clients, create a non-judgmental space that feels safe for clients to discuss their concerns, and in a practical & compassionate way, help clients learn to more effectively manage the things in their lives that cause them distress. Alicia helps clients understand better what may be getting in the way of them having the relationship with self, others, and/or work that they would like, and works with them to access and learn the skills needed to create more fulfilling lives."

- Marcus Artis, LCSW-R • January 2022

"Alicia has a strong understanding of the BIPOC experience that is very sought after by people who need help navigating discrimination, covert and overt racism, and other stressors experienced by BIPOC. Alicia has desire to support those who are in need of validation of their feelings and experiences. She seeks facilitate an environment that provides encouragement, self reflection, and skills to move forward. Alicia is very real and down to earth. She makes people feel comfortable with her calming presence, and she is very easy to talk to. Most of all, she genuinely wants to help people, and I believe this to be one of her best traits as a therapist."

- Dawn Sanchez, LCSW • November 2021