Aliza Castro , LCSW

Aliza Castro is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with 29 years of experience offering integrated behavioral health care for individuals managing substance use and co-occurring mental health concerns. She brings long-standing experience working with addiction, trauma, mood disorders, and related challenges, and she makes space for the particular identity questions that can arise from adoption and foster care histories.

Her clinical practice is rooted in evidence-based, person-centered methods that prioritize listening and collaboration. Aliza emphasizes a nonjudgmental, compassionate, and supportive stance while helping clients set meaningful goals and build practical coping skills. The work she does is goal-directed and paced to each individual, focusing on clarity, motivation, and steady progress in recovery and life transitions.

Aliza’s areas of focus include substance and process addictions, trauma and abuse, anxiety and depression, relationship and intimacy issues, parenting and family concerns, workplace stress, and challenges common to young adults and caregivers. She also supports those navigating grief, compassion fatigue, attention and mood disorders, and identity-related issues such as abandonment or attachment concerns. Throughout her practice she aims to empower clients to move forward at a pace that feels right for them.

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Care

Aliza combines Client-Centered Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Motivational Interviewing to support clients in online sessions. Client-Centered Therapy focuses on creating an empathetic, nonjudgmental relationship that helps individuals explore their experiences and set personal goals - it is often helpful for grief, identity questions, and relationship concerns. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is a practical, skills-based approach that looks at how thoughts and behaviors influence feelings; it is commonly used for anxiety, depression, and coping with life changes. Motivational Interviewing is a collaborative method that helps people find internal motivation for change and is especially useful when addressing substance use and readiness for new habits.

Choosing the right approach is part of the therapeutic process. Aliza works collaboratively with clients to determine which methods best fit their needs, goals, and preferences, and adapts strategies as progress unfolds. Clients are treated as partners in planning treatment and in pacing the work.

Online therapy offers flexibility and accessibility through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. These options allow clients to engage from different locations and schedules, making it easier to attend sessions during work, caregiving, or recovery commitments while maintaining continuity of care with licensed professionals.