Alexandra De Castro Basto

Alexandra De Castro Basto is a licensed marriage and family therapist practicing in California with 18 years of professional experience. She focuses on helping people who are feeling isolated, overwhelmed by stress, or struggling with anxiety and depression. Alexandra works to create a respectful, compassionate space where people can begin to talk about what feels hard and find small, workable changes to try.

She often helps people address low self-esteem, motivation problems, and mood instability linked to bipolar disorder. Alexandra also supports those facing family conflicts, communication problems, and the fallout from divorce or separation. She pays attention to family of origin issues and patterns of codependency that keep people stuck.

In sessions she adapts conversations and plans to each person's needs rather than following a single script. That means assessing what matters to the client, setting clear goals, and choosing practical steps that fit daily life. She treats people with sensitivity and aims to make therapy feel doable even when the first step feels hard.

Alexandra can also work with clients who are dealing with guilt, shame, or difficulties forming secure attachment. She talks openly about substance use and addiction when it affects mood and relationships. Her approach emphasizes steady progress and realistic tools to improve connection and self-regard.

People who want to begin are invited to take the first step and complete a short matching questionnaire to arrange sessions according to availability. The process starts with a simple scheduling step and moves at a pace set by the client.

Therapeutic approaches and getting help online

Alexandra uses evidence-based techniques that focus on real-life problems and measurable goals. One common approach targets mood regulation and depressive symptoms by helping people recognize unhelpful thought patterns and build small daily habits that improve energy and focus. This can help when low mood or bipolar symptoms make routines feel difficult to maintain.

Another strand of her work addresses relationship and attachment issues by looking at how patterns in close relationships started and continue. This helps people change how they communicate and form more reliable connections with others, which can reduce loneliness and chronic conflict.

Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the work. She collaborates with each person to decide which methods match their goals, preferences, and current challenges. Therapy is described and adjusted together rather than imposed.

If you prefer online sessions, please confirm the specific session options before booking since formats are not listed here. Online therapy can make it easier to fit appointments into a busy life, avoid travel time, or choose a quicker check-in when schedules are tight. A range of practical benefits can be discussed when you arrange your first appointment so sessions fit your daily routine.