Post-Doctoral Fellows
Counseling Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, Colorado
What you like about the program?
The program is aligned with my values in regard to providing culturally responsive care to patients. Further, the program focuses on delivering better quality of care while also increasing access to care. Ultimately, the program is patient-centered in all the different forms of treatment provided. Due to the number of diverse training opportunities provided in the program, I feel I am a more well-rounded and culturally responsive clinician.
What do you like about El Paso?
Although I have been living in Denver while completing my doctorate, I am excited to return to El Paso. Ultimately, I missed my family members the most. The majority of my family members are originally from Ciudad Juárez and have been immigrating to the U.S. over the years. I originally started my clinical work in the El Paso-Las Cruces region and received my master’s degree from NMSU. I truly missed serving the diverse population of the area. Moreover, I missed the warm community. The people of El Paso are kind and treat each other like familia. This is a place to be surrounded by a friendly community and plenty of food they will want to share with you. I enjoy shopping at the flea markets or finding one of the multiple food truck areas to eat at.
Interest/Passion/Career Goals?
The majority of my clinical work began in in the U.S.-Mexico border region. Throughout my clinical work and personal experiences, I realized there are many systemic barriers affecting the community’s access to care. One area that I wanted to address further was adapting the treatments I was trained in to incorporate the cultural values of the community. My aim is to incorporate my patients' values such as family and faith, when possible, into the treatment process. My interest continues to be related to working in multidisciplinary health care teams and addressing severe mental illness. I plan to incorporate more psychological testing and provide this service in my community. In my time away from work, I enjoy spending time with my family, exercising, eating good food, and watching DC movies.
Clinical Psychology, Xavier University, Cincinnati, Ohio
What you like about the program?
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso's postdoctoral training in psychology has allowed me to integrate clinical practice, research and other professional activities related to clinical child psychology. I enjoy working in an environment that practices professionalism, respect, and advocacy for their patients' needs. Moreover, I am grateful for working in an interdisciplinary setting that allows for consultation and collaboration across specialties within the field of psychology. I look forward to providing evidence-based and holistic bilingual services to children and families.
What do you like about El Paso?
El Paso is one of the kindest cities I have lived in. The people are warm, welcoming, and willing to help however they can. I also love the mountains. I enjoy looking at them on my drive home and feel lucky to be close to hiking areas and parks in New Mexico as well. I think the food in El Paso is delicious! I love the authenticity of the Mexican food and how the restaurants here make use of the city's sunny weather. With outdoor seating, you can enjoy the weather and views while eating delicious food. I admire the city's effort to celebrate the border culture and preserve the modern with the historic. I enjoy walking downtown and around the Plaza Theater, enjoying a good cup of coffee at the Coffee Box, eating churros and drinking hot chocolate during Christmas time and attending all of the events downtown and at Madeline Park on the West side.
Interest/Passion/Career Goals?
Since very early on in my career, I've known that I wanted to work with Hispanic children and families to reduce mental health disparities in this population. I grew up in a Hispanic community, seeing firsthand the long-term effects of untreated psychological concerns in children and adults, including but not limited to ADHD, depression, and anxiety. I feel passionate about working with racially and ethnically diverse children and youth who are underserved. I also strive to close the gap between research and clinical needs by participating in research projects with diverse populations. I am dedicated to being a child psychologist who is an active researcher and scientific consumer so that I can serve my patients through evidence-based practice.