Born in New York to Venezuelan parents. I lived in Caracas until age 20, where I completed High School (1999) and was trained in social sciences, computer science, electronics, commerce, human resources, and education. I also worked as a replacement teacher at my high school following graduation.

 

My education is in the field of Psychology. I have a Master’s degree in Psychology from City College of New York (September 2013) and a Master’s degree in Counseling from Regent University (August 2016). Prior to that I completed an Associate’s degree in Liberal Arts with intensive training in Nuclear Medicine Technology, Phlebotomy, EKG, and Medical  Terminology. At the time, I was planning to go for a PhD in neuropsychology, hence my desire to learn about nuclear imaging and computer technology, but unfortunately several nuclear plants in the US, Japan and Holland were scheduled for maintenance the following years and my degree would have been rendered useless for 5+ years. I decided to focus on the social sciences and completed a dual bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Sociology at Hunter College (January 2009). Then, in 2010 I was invited to participate in a year-long internship at Rockland Psychiatric Center in New York and had the opportunity to learn about the work that is done by psychologists who work in a psychiatric ward. While there, I participated in a three-month internship at Russell E. Blaisdell Addiction Treatment Center, an all-male inpatient facility that provides addiction treatment services for individuals with chemical dependency, co-occurring mental health disorders, and registered sex offenders.

 

My work experience was initially in the areas of manufacturing, administration and business associate. My first job in mental health did not come until 2015, when I worked as an Intensive In-Home provider. The following year I began working with adults, couples and families more regularly, especially those who lived in underserved areas and by mid-2017 I became a substance abuse intensive outpatient therapist, facilitating changes conducive to healthy lifestyles in those diagnosed with a substance use disorder.