Jose Alvear, LCSW

"Jose Alvear, LCSW, is a bilingual therapist dedicated to mental health, social justice, and social work. His passion lies in serving vulnerable populations, including those experiencing homelessness, poverty, the elderly, at-risk youth, recent immigrants, and individuals with chronic health conditions. Jose’s journey into mental health began with his own struggles with dermatillomania (chronic skin picking disorder), which he lived with undiagnosed for over 30 years, leading to physical scarring, low self-esteem, and depression. After seeking clinical help and discovering that his ""bad habit"" was actually a treatable body-focused repetitive disorder (BFRB), he started an anonymous blog called ""Diary of a Skin Picker"" to document his recovery and support others.

Following the inclusion of excoriation disorder in the DSM-5 in 2013, Jose transitioned from his 20-year career as a tech writer and research analyst to pursue his Master of Social Work (MSW) from the NYU Silver School of Social Work, graduating in 2016. His commitment to advocacy extends beyond his clinical work, as he actively works to increase Latino representation in social work, reduce mental health stigma, and raise awareness about BFRBs, which affect approximately 5% of the population. He continues to develop various projects related to skin picking and other BFRBs, including the BFRB Podcast, while using his personal experiences to advocate for those who lack a voice in the mental health community."