About Bertha
Bertha Ruvalcaba helps people who are feeling overwhelmed, stuck, or uncertain about their next step. She writes in plain terms and focuses on what matters to the person sitting across from her. Bertha provides steady support for people dealing with stress, anxiety, depression, relationship strain, trauma, and big life changes.
She is a licensed clinical social worker - LCSW - practicing in California and has built two decades of experience.
How Bertha works
Her work centers on listening first and then finding ways to make day-to-day life more manageable. Sessions aim to uncover simple tools that can be used right away to reduce distress and improve coping. Bertha draws on several common therapy approaches.
She uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to help people notice painful thoughts without getting stuck in them. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is used to identify thoughts and behaviors that keep problems going, and Mindfulness practices are added to build calm and focus. She blends these methods with a client-centered attitude so care is responsive to each person.
Her experience includes supporting people affected by adoption and foster care issues, caregiver stress, divorce and separation, domestic violence, postpartum depression, and sexual assault and abuse. Bertha also helps with anger, bipolar concerns, loneliness, and questions about life purpose. She offers services in English and Spanish and works with people across many life situations.
Taking the first step can feel hard, and Bertha aims to make the process straightforward and respectful.
Bertha lists 8 ways of working on the entry:
What Bertha works with
The areas below are the ones Bertha selected when setting up a profile. The first few are listed as the main focus; the rest are also named.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Trauma and abuse
Also listed
- Adoption and foster care
- Anger management
- Bipolar disorder
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Coping with life changes
- Depression
- Divorce and separation
- Domestic violence
- Emptiness
- Family conflicts
- Family problems
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Isolation / loneliness
- Life purpose
- Post-traumatic stress
- Postpartum depression
- Self esteem
- Self-love
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Social anxiety and phobia
Training and background
| Register | LCSW |
|---|---|
| Years in practice | 20 |
| Languages | English, Spanish |
| Session format | Online: video, phone, live chat or messaging |
| Country | California |
Memberships and registers are shown as supplied; they are not licences, and this directory does not verify them.
Online support options
Therapeutic approaches for online care
Bertha commonly uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in her work. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy helps people notice difficult thoughts and feelings without letting those thoughts drive their actions, which can be useful for anxiety, shame, or trauma reactions. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy looks at the connection between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors and helps people change patterns that keep problems going.She pairs those methods with client-centered care, which means she listens first and adapts methods to fit the person's needs. Finding the right approach is a collaborative process; she will work with each person to decide which techniques match their goals and daily life preferences.
Online therapy is offered through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video lets people work face-to-face when they want that connection, while phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited or a shorter check-in is needed. Live chat and text messaging provide flexibility for quick updates or ongoing support between longer sessions. These options make it simpler to fit therapy into a busy schedule and to keep continuity when life is unpredictable.
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Common questions
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A practical next step
Write down two things you would want to be different in six months. That is the most useful thing to bring to a first session, whoever it is with. If you would rather start now than keep reading, online sessions are the quickest route.
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