01 · Who Raphael works with

Raphael works with stress, Anxiety, family conflicts and anger management

Raphael lists 5 specialisms and 26 further focus areas. Specialisms are the subjects Raphael chose to list first, which is the closest a listing gets to “this is my actual practice”.

02 · In Raphael's own words

What Raphael says about the work

Reproduced in full and unedited - not summarised, not tightened, not rewritten in a house voice.

I'm a licensed therapist in Pennsylvania with extensive experience supporting individuals through a wide range of life challenges. My work centers on helping people navigate depression, anxiety, stress, and family conflicts, while also addressing deeper concerns like self-worth, isolation, grief, and trauma.

I specialize in working with clients facing panic disorder, post-traumatic stress, mood disorders, and co-occurring challenges. I'm also experienced in supporting individuals through major life transitions-including divorce, infidelity, and abandonment-as well as workplace stress, chronic pain, and addiction concerns.

Beyond these clinical areas, I'm committed to supporting men's issues, multicultural concerns, and the unique experiences of first responders and individuals with visual impairments. I approach therapy with cultural humility and respect for diverse backgrounds and perspectives.

My therapeutic style is grounded in compassion and a genuine commitment to your healing. I believe in meeting you where you are, without judgment, and working collaboratively toward meaningful change. Whether you're struggling with anger, shame, control issues, or questions about life purpose and forgiveness, I'm here to help you find clarity and move forward with greater peace and self-compassion.

Raphael Alfaro, on the BetterHelp listing · read 6 Nov 2026

03 · How Raphael works

The 5 approaches Raphael lists, in plain English

These are the clinical methods Raphael lists. The descriptions are Maker Therapy's, not Raphael's - a general explanation of what each method is, so the list means something before you have spoken to anybody. They are not a claim about how Raphael runs a session.

Client-Centred TherapyPerson-centred · Rogerian

The therapist does not steer toward a technique or a diagnosis. They offer sustained, non-judgemental attention and reflect back what they hear, on the premise that people find their own direction when they are genuinely listened to. Often what people mean by “someone who just gets it”.

Cognitive Behavioural TherapyCBT

Structured, present-focused work on the loop between what you think, how you feel and what you then do. Usually means noticing a thought pattern in the room, testing it against evidence, and practising something different between sessions. Among the most heavily researched talking therapies for depression and anxiety.

Dialectical Behaviour TherapyDBT

A structured skills-led adaptation of CBT built around holding two things at once: accepting yourself as you are and working to change. Teaches concrete skills for distress tolerance, emotion regulation and relationships. Developed for people whose feelings arrive at overwhelming intensity, and strongest-evidenced there.

Mindfulness-Based TherapyMBCT

Trains attention on what is happening right now - body, breath, the thought as it arrives - so distress can be observed rather than automatically acted on. Strongest evidence is in preventing depression from recurring, and it is usually taught as a practice you keep doing outside the session.

Motivational InterviewingMI

A way of talking about change with somebody who is genuinely in two minds about it. The therapist does not argue for the change; they help you say your own reasons out loud, which is the part that predicts whether it happens. Common around substance use and health behaviour.

Also listed

• Existential Therapy

04 · What happens next

From this page to a first session

Raphael practises through BetterHelp, so the route in is BetterHelp's. This is that sequence, written by Maker Therapy from the platform's published process - not a description of Raphael's own practice, and not a promise about how quickly anything happens.

1. A questionnaire, not a booking form

   BetterHelp opens with a set of questions about what you are dealing with, what you want from therapy, and any preferences on the therapist. You are not booking Raphael at this point.

2. Naming Raphael specifically

   BetterHelp matches algorithmically by default, so asking for Raphael is a step you have to take. There is a field for requesting a specific therapist during sign-up, and you can switch afterwards from your account. Starting from a link on this page does not by itself assign you to Raphael.

3. If the caseload is full

   You will be offered somebody else rather than put on a waitlist. Worth knowing, because it is easy to assume a match is the person you asked for.

4. The first conversation

   A first session is typically history and orientation: what brought you, what has been tried, what you want to be different. It is also where the questions in the next section belong.

5. If the fit is wrong

   Changing therapist on BetterHelp does not need a reason. A first session that does not click is common and is not a verdict on therapy. That option existing is the main practical difference between a platform and a private practice.

05 · Before you commit

3 questions worth asking Raphael

Built from what Raphael actually lists, so they are answerable and specific rather than generic. Maker Therapy's, not Raphael's - Raphael has not seen them and is under no obligation to answer any of them.

• “You list both Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Client-Centred Therapy. Which do you lean on with someone like me?”

  Those two point in different directions - one structured and led by the therapist, the other led by you. The answer tells you what the sessions will actually feel like.

• “How do you decide when someone is ready to work on a traumatic memory itself?”

  Pacing is the biggest safety question in trauma work. A clear, unhurried answer here matters more than any credential.

• “How do you handle the gap between sessions if something comes up?”

  On BetterHelp this varies a great deal by therapist. Better to know the rhythm now than to discover it on a bad week.

06 · Practical details

Credentials and licensing

Credential

LPC

Licensed in

Pennsylvania

Licence

PA LPC PC013577

Licence number

PC013577

Licence expires

28 Feb 2027

NPI

1639827264

Years in practice

8

Gender

Male

Languages

English

International clients

Not accepted

Listed since

5 Sep 2026

07 · Provenance

Where every line on this page came from

Raphael's name, credential, state, subjects, approaches and biography are read from BetterHelp's therapist roster, which Maker Therapy re-reads once a day; this page reflects the reading taken on 6 Nov 2026. The licence number and NPI are cross-checked against public registers.

The plain-English method descriptions, the first-session walkthrough and the questions are written by Maker Therapy and labelled as such wherever they appear.

Maker Therapy is not BetterHelp, does not take bookings, and has not met Raphael. There are no reviews or ratings on this page because we have no way to verify one. If you start therapy through a link here, we may be paid a commission - it does not change your price and it does not affect who appears here or in what order.

Something on this page wrong or out of date? Report it and it will be checked against the source.