Mid-Peninsula DBT

Welcome!

Hi! My name is Arlene Bagain Rivera and I am a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor, LPCC #2587, with nearly 20 years of experience. I offer a structured and compassionate DBT program designed to help you regulate emotions, strengthen resilience, and build a life that feels more grounded and intentional.

How I Help

I offer a full‑model, virtual DBT program for adults who want more than coping — they want clarity, stability, and skills that actually work in real life. My approach is warm, collaborative, and grounded in evidence‑based DBT principles. Together, we focus on:

• Emotion regulation that helps you respond rather than react
• Distress tolerance skills for moments that feel overwhelming
• Mindfulness practices that build awareness and self‑trust
• Interpersonal effectiveness tools for healthier boundaries and communication
• Reducing shame, self‑criticism, and patterns that keep you stuck

DBT gives you a clear roadmap. I help you personalize it so it becomes a sustainable way of living, not just a set of skills.ear, structured path forward — and I’m here to walk that path with you.

Who I Work With

I work with thoughtful, high‑achieving adults across California who are ready for meaningful change. Many of my clients are:

• Professionals navigating chronic stress, emotional intensity, or burnout
• Adults with complex trauma or long‑standing sensitivity to emotions
• People who appear composed on the outside but feel overwhelmed internally
• Individuals who want structure, accountability, and a skills‑based approach
• Adults seeking a warm, attuned therapist who is both compassionate and direct

If you’re motivated, reflective, and ready to build a more grounded internal world, DBT can be a powerful fit.

What Clients Often Struggle With

Clients who seek DBT often describe:

• Feeling emotionally flooded or easily dysregulated
• Difficulty managing stress, conflict, or intense internal reactions
• Cycles of avoidance, shutdown, or impulsive decision‑making
• Shame, self‑criticism, or perfectionism that feels exhausting
• Trouble setting boundaries or expressing needs
• Feeling “too much,” “not enough,” or disconnected from themselves
• Unhealthy ways of coping
• A desire for tools that are practical, not abstract

DBT helps you understand these patterns with compassion — and gives you the skills to change them.

If you’re motivated for change and want a therapist who is warm, direct, and deeply attuned, DBT can be a powerful fit