Special Interests and Training

Dr. Bryan Balvaneda (he/his) is trained as a generalist and provides therapy through research-supported treatment approaches that work across a range of mental health concerns. He primarily provides therapy through a Cognitive-Behavioral framework with a significant emphasis on Mindfulness-Based and Feminist-Multicultural approaches. This integrative approach helps individuals balance their emphasis between engaging in change to overcome challenges and accepting their natural experiences. 

Dr. Balvaneda also offers specialized experience, skills, and interests in the following areas:

• Behavioral treatments with Exposure Therapy for anxiety disorders and Behavioral Activation for depression

• Harm reduction strategies and motivational support to navigate substance use and sexual concerns

• Managing chronic pain and health conditions through stress management techniques and lifestyle changes

• Promoting positive identity, self-worth, and challenging harmful social attitudes

• Navigating undergraduate and graduate student life

• Working with Latinx/Latine communities and offering therapy in Spanish

I am a San Diego native who grew up in the South Bay, but with a fondness for the Northeastern United States, where I completed my education. I received my Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Psychology degree from Yale University and my Doctorate (PhD) from the University of Massachusetts Boston. I then returned to Southern California and completed my APA-accredited internship at the University of California, Riverside, and postdoctoral residency at the University of California, San Diego. 

My career has involved training and working in a variety of care settings that help me work with individuals from many different communities. These settings include community health centers, college counseling centers, and the Veterans Affairs (VA) Healthcare System. Providing therapy in these care settings has helped me better support individuals across racial and ethnic identities, sexual and gender diversity, people with disabilities, and Veterans. 

Throughout these training experiences, I have often been involved in treatment research studies, allowing me to develop highly trained skills in understanding various diagnoses and providing structured treatments such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Mindfulness-Based Therapies, and Harm Reduction for substance use and sexual activity. My doctoral dissertation and independent training pursuits have also grown my specialty with Mindful Self-Compassion, which helps individuals manage self-criticism and promote positive, stable self-worth. 
Our mental health, just like our physical health, does not exist independently of the world we live in. I integrate a biological-psychological-social (BioPsychoSocial) approach to helping people understand and navigate the concerns bringing them to therapy. This involves learning more about ourselves in the context of how our brain and bodies respond as well as how our environment, both those we were brought up in and currently live in, interact to shape our experiences. I also emphasize understanding your personal values to guide how you want to relate to yourself, others, and the world to meet your therapy goals. 

I look forward to bridging my skills and approaches with your unique needs in therapy.