LMHC, 1 years of experience
I am Board Certified and a Diplomat of the American Psychotherapist Association. I earned a doctoral degree in Counseling psychology, a master's degree in Mental Health Counseling from Saint Thomas University, Miami. Florida. I have been a host in several Television shows, radio and public speaker. I am the author of a book. "Meant To Last Together" I am inspired to work with different people from all walks of life and provide tools to establish a positive relationship with themselves and others. I am Cuban American. I have knowledge of how immigrants adapt to a new lifestyle as well as family dynamics. I am fully bilingual. Spanish is my native language. I have extensive knowledge of many areas, including conflict resolution, divorce, grief, and life stressors. I have been in practice for over 35 years.
During the first session, you should expect an open discussion as your commitment to treatment, future sessions recommendation, confidentiality guidelines and goals. A brief history and primary concerns will be discussed. If appropriate a follow up session will be recommended or a referral to a different clinician will be suggested, if we don't agree to work together. In some cases, you may need a different professional or another clinician who may be better trained in a particular modality. Sometimes a referral to a psychiatrist may be indicated. This will be part of our first session.
I am open, communicative and direct. I have many years of experience which makes it easy for me to identify the issues at hand. I am very positive and engaging. I like to be honest about what I represent. You will find me to be easy to talk to and definitely will not pressure you to do anything that you may not be ready to do. As a therapist, I will not tell you what to do. I will allow you to find the answers and help you navigate through positive acceptance, exploration and self fufillment.
As psychotherapist with a Christian base. I have respect for family values. I enjoy meeting people who are eager to grow, discover new possibilities and allow themselves to grow. I am eclectic, meaning that I use a variation of schools of thought targeted to each individual. I don't judge anyone. Self-acceptance and openness are the key to get the most out of therapy. I don't have a preference in who I serve. I am open to anyone who reaches out and is willing to commit to therapy.
I work on redirecting the thought process to reduce and eliminate unhealthy thought processes which block the process of thinking and it affects the mood . Therefore, the goal is to create a positive change in the brain. It focus es on improving your beliefs which will facilitate unhealthy patters of behaviors. I find it very effective, specifically with mood occurring disorders.
I incorporate different modalities and therapeutic techniques. Some traditional like , CBT, (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), Rational Behavioral Therapy, ACT (Acceptance Commitment Therapy), interpersonal, existential, Socratic questioning, Psycho-educational, Mindfulness based approaches, Motivational Interviewing, Gestalt, Existential approaches and techniques to manage and improve the maladaptive behaviors. Each client is different and having training in multiple areas has allowed me to become more confident in working with different emotional and psychological issues.
Educate each client who has suffered a loss and help him/her navigate through the stages of grief. It is imperative to identify the issues early to prevent long term effects. I provide compassionate therapy and guidance during the time of loss.