About | Katherina Alvarez

About Katherina

I (she/her) am a disabled multiracial and multicultural person of the Global Majority born and raised in Panama, in Abya Yala, Central America. I currently live in Amsterdam with my partner and my heart dog, who inspired me to pursue my lifelong dream of dog training. I began my psychology studies in Panama before moving to Amsterdam to pursue a Research Master’s degree and a Ph.D. in Social Psychology. As a trauma-informed, racial equity, and anti-oppression educator, I center my work on providing research consultancy and educating and training people on how to incorporate social justice and anti-oppressive practices into their daily lives and workplaces. I also offer compassionate individual coaching.

My lived experience with trauma and oppression, as well as healing, integration, and post-traumatic growth, motivated my commitment to reduce the psychological impact of systemic oppression and trauma by working with individuals and groups excluded or marginalized from society. For over 15 years, I have worked as a psychologist, researcher, and educator with people from various cultures in the Netherlands, the United States, and Panama. I have received grants from the European Union, the Netherlands, and Panama. My trauma-informed approach is based on scientific research as well as applied and experiential knowledge, and it incorporates compassion, empathy, kindness, mindfulness, and a sense of humor.

I am part of the Global Majority, mixed-race Latine, disabled, and bilingual (Spanish/English) cisgender immigrant.