Aloha! I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) based in Miami, FL. I received my Master of Social Work (2017), B.A. in Psychology (2014) and B.S. in Criminal Justice (2014) from the Florida International University (FIU). I am committed to upholding the core values of social work—respect, empathy, and authenticity—and adopting the holistic Person-In-Environment (PIE) perspective. Ten years ago, I first embarked on my professional journey serving in child welfare, as well as adult forensic and homeless populations.
Since 2017, I have been working full time at Citrus Health Network, Inc., one of the largest federally qualified health centers in South Florida, under a grant-funded, coordinated specialty care (CSC), evidence-based program (EBP) known as NAVIGATE, which is designed to treat first episode psychosis. In 2022, the program expanded, and I was designated as Team Leader to train newcomers. I also supervise two Peer Support Specialists (former clients of mine), who use their shared lived experience and skills learned to help others navigate the road to wellness from mental health and/or substance use conditions, and often include them in my therapy sessions. In the summer of 2023, I was invited as subject matter expert (SME) in psychosis to help train Miami police officers in Crisis Intervention Team (CIT).
I served as a parttime Evaluation Coordinator at the FIU Community-Based Research Institute (CBRI) through a subcontract with nonprofit organization, Gang Alternative, Inc. on the Minority Youth Violence Prevention Project, a 4-year (2017-2021) research grant funded by the Office of Minority Health. This program aimed to reduce violence and substance use among adolescents in high-risk minority communities in Miami, FL, such as Little Haiti and Liberty City. Under the supervision of Dr. Michelle Hospital, I was responsible for coordinating research, as an external evaluator.
What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?
In our initial meeting, I'll orient you to my service, address your inquiries, and set flexible expectations. Our focus will shift to understanding your wellness, exploring its significance, delving into human resiliency's connection to wellness and begin to identify personal strengths. Together, we'll eventually formulate a personalized plan to help you reach your goals. Since you are also an expert of your own experience, we will use the Shared Decision Making (SDM) model, routinely taking into account your values, priorities, and preferences. We will end the session with a simple, yet effective, relaxation technique that you can immediately equip yourself with.
Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.
I've been complimented on cultivating an atmosphere that makes people feel safe and comfortable with my organic, spontaneous style. I maintain balance through structured flexibility, emphasizing a shared commitment to have a plan and process while remaining adaptable to unforeseen variables and circumstances. In line with this, Feedback Informed Treatment (FIT) encourages ongoing client feedback to ensure therapeutic relevance amid evolving needs, and interests. Overall, I strive to embody the transformative qualities that foster healing within the therapeutic alliance, drawing inspiration from the 8 Cs and 5 Ps of Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy:
Calm, Compassionate, Curious, Creative, Confidence, Courage, Connectedness and Clarity.
Presence, Patience, Perspective, Persistence, Playfulness.
About Michael Sage Vasconez
Appointments
Virtual
My treatment methods
Strength-Based
I have been serving as an Indvidual Resiliency Training (IRT) Clinician since 2017 and was designated as LEAD IRT Clinician in 2022. IRT is primarily predicated on recognizing and harnessing personal strengths to navigate adversity effectively. This involves delving into various aspects of ourselves, such as creativity, curiosity, courage, perseverance, love of learning, social intelligence, kindness, leadership, self-control, playfulness/humor, gratitude, and spirituality, among other dimensions. Throughout my tenure, I've had the honor of witnessing numerous individuals not only rediscover but also unearth newfound strength amidst painful challenges. IRT is inherently person-centered infused with elements of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Motivational Interviewing (MI), Positive Psychology and Humanism. Additionally, there is a robust foundation of psychoeducation. Knowledge is power!
Trauma Informed Care
In 2021, I received an invitation to join the Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) team at Citrus Health Network, Inc., recognizing my track record of successfully assisting numerous individuals in their trauma recovery since 2017. My primary therapeutic approach is Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET), a method conditionally recommended by the American Psychological Association (APA) (https://www.apa.org/ptsd-guideline/treatments/narrative-exposure-therapy). The essence of NET lies in learning to articulate and reshape one's narrative, fostering peace with memories, promoting growth through experiences (known as Posttraumatic Growth or PTG), and instilling confidence to move forward in life. Embracing creativity, including art and music, is actively encouraged, as it often leads to more profound results.
In addition to NET, I integrate Compassion and Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) techniques into my practice. This involves methods, such as gradual exposure and challenging self-stigmatizing beliefs, a skill known as cognitive restructuring.
Further enhancing my therapeutic toolkit, I completed the MDMA-Assisted Therapy (MDMA-AT) for PTSD certification in 2021. Most notably, the FDA has designated this modality as a breakthrough therapy. Currently, I am wholeheartedly dedicated to establishing my private practice. As I eagerly anticipate FDA approval in August 2024 and legalization, I am poised to incorporate this promising therapeutic approach into my clinical repertoire.
Dialectical Behavior (DBT)
I injected Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) into my practice in 2017, bolstered by 10 months of formal training as a DBT Skills Group Facilitator from 2021 to 2022 at The Center for Evidence Based Treatment (CEBT) - Ohio. I hold a profound appreciation for the DBT philosophy because of its realism, which embraces the inherent complexity and shades of gray in the world. Recognizing that rigid black-and-white constructs ultimately leads to distress and hinder adaptability, I've helped numerous people engage in dialectical thinking to, in turn, maximize cognitive flexibility, and adaptive capabilities. Central to DBT is the acknowledgment of innate wisdom, empowering individuals to craft a life worth living. Practicing mindfulness serves as the conduit to access this inner wisdom, referred to as "Wise Mind" – the delicate balance between emotion and reason. DBT, with its comprehensive approach, equips individuals with skills for distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness. By fostering a deep understanding of the intricacies of the human experience, it empowers individuals to navigate life's complexities with resilience and wisdom.
Eclectic
I take pride in my commitment to open-mindedness and the personalized tailoring of therapy to individual needs and interests, employing an eclectic perspective. Over the past several years, I've successfully integrated mind-body approaches into my practice by collaborating with Yoga and Tai Chi instructors. These practices have demonstrated effectiveness in alleviating symptoms and enhancing the overall quality of life, supported by research.
I am a passionate advocate for nature exposure and place significant emphasis on promoting healthy lifestyle modifications, particularly in the realms of sleep, exercise, and nutrition. My journey as a martial artist since 2021, holding a green belt in Shinto Yoshin Kai Jujitsu, fuels my aspiration to incorporate Therapeutic Martial Arts (TxMA) in the future. Additionally, I find joy in applying concepts from Superhero Therapy (ST) to enrich the therapeutic experience for those who are interested.
To further enhance my therapeutic toolkit, I am embarking on certification training in Internal Family Systems (IFS) starting this June, aligning seamlessly with my compassion-focused framework. My eclectic perspective also integrates chaos/complexity theory, and neuroscience, essential components that contribute to a holistic and dynamic therapeutic approach. Chaos theory is used to describe the process by which humans, as complex adaptive systems and self-regenerating organisms, spontaneously change and grow their internal structure according to their respective environments. This process is know as self-organization: after a period of chaos and transition, humans are capable of connecting with new information and resources to evolve to a higher order state of adaptive equilibrium. Disorder, unpredictability, and lack of control are natural parts of life. Chaos is a sign that change is needed and transformation is indeed possible.
Group Therapy
The advent of the COVID-19 pandemic prompted a shift in my therapeutic approach towards group therapy, aiming to mitigate social isolation. Since 2020, I have been actively leading weekly virtual meetings and monthly in-person sessions, strategically designed to reinforce and amplify the impact of my treatment methods within a group setting.
In December 2023, I had the honor of being invited to present at a First Episode Program (FEP) Statewide Summit in Daytona Beach. The focus of my presentation was centered around innovative and out-of-the-box methods, including the use of art-based interventions to facilitate individuals in narrating their stories. This novel approach not only provides a unique avenue for self-expression but also contributes to the overall effectiveness of the therapeutic process.
