Bertha Ruvalcaba

Bertha Ruvalcaba is a California licensed clinical social worker with 20 years of experience. She helps people who are feeling overwhelmed by stress, anger, anxiety, depression, or the fallout from trauma and abuse. Her approach is warm and straightforward. She encourages clients to take the first step and acknowledges that reaching out takes courage.

Bertha creates an open space where clients can talk about thoughts and feelings without judgment. Sessions focus on understanding what’s happening now and learning practical ways to respond differently. She draws on cognitive behavioral techniques to spot unhelpful thinking and on mindfulness to calm intense emotions.

She also uses acceptance and commitment ideas to help people clarify their values and take small steps toward what matters. Elements of dialectical behavior therapy appear when clients need tools for strong emotions and relationship stress. Bertha adapts these methods to each person’s pace and comfort level.

Over two decades she has supported people coping with life changes such as divorce, adoption and foster care concerns, caregiver stress, and postpartum depression. She works with those facing issues like guilt, shame, isolation, and social anxiety, and those managing bipolar symptoms and relationship strain.

Bertha offers sessions in English and Spanish. She asks new clients to complete a short matching questionnaire to begin and to schedule sessions based on therapist availability.

How her approaches translate to online therapy

Bertha commonly uses cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness-based work. Cognitive behavioral therapy helps people identify unhelpful thoughts and test new ways of thinking and behaving to reduce anxiety, anger, or low mood. Mindfulness therapy teaches simple attention and breathing practices to manage overwhelm and stay present rather than getting pulled into strong emotions.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together. She will collaborate with each person to choose methods that fit their goals, needs, and comfort level. That may mean combining techniques or focusing on one approach for a while and adjusting as progress happens.

Confirm the session formats before booking to know what is offered. Many clients find online sessions help fit therapy into busy lives by reducing travel time, making it easier to join during a work break, or letting someone use a shorter check-in when needed. Talk with the therapist about scheduling preferences and practical details when you start.