Hi, I’m Maribel
I’m a mother of three teenage boys and a Clinical Psychologist. For the past 20 years I’ve been helping teens, adults, families and schools with topics related to teenage mental wellness and healthy family dynamics.
I did my PhD internship at the teen unit in a psychiatric hospital and later moved on to work with teens with mental health challenges and their families using mainly a DBT framework but also incorporating strategies from other research based treatment approaches such as CBT, ACT, Behavior therapy, etc. I’ve also created online courses for school districts on social emotional development and led workshops for parents and teachers on teen mental health in the US and abroad.
Working with teens and their families is my passion. Mainly, because I believe teens are so often misunderstood and the impact of them feeling connected socially and with their family is so valuable. The teen years are such a critical time in your child’s life for social and emotional development, yet it’s also a time when they’re frequently feeling disconnected, misunderstood, and not worthy.
I’ve seen the evidence of this with my clients but I’ve also experienced this with my own kids. Years ago, after our family moved to a different state, my kids were really struggling to adapt to the change. Even as a psychologist, the massive change of moving and the increased level of stress in the family, caused me to overlook certain changes in them, thinking they would be transitory. I did everything I know is wrong and none of it was intentional. My fears and concerns were keeping me from being the mother my kids needed me to be at the time and instead of being there for them in helpful ways, I was pushing them away and making the problem bigger instead of better. It was not until I began implementing the parenting skills I’ll coach you to use that I was able to help my children navigate through his challenge and rebuild our relationship.
My personal experience, clinical training and the experiences I’ve had with countless teens and families who I’ve been able to work with is evidence of the great positive impact effective parenting can have in teens with mental health challenges. Even with teens who are severely depressed, have been hospitalized, or harm themselves in some ways, I’ve seen miraculous changes in both the teen and the family system when parents are coached to use skills that can help them make it better for their child and family.
I know how overwhelmed parents can be when dealing with their teen’s mental illness, that was me a couple of years ago and I see it everyday in my practice. My goal is to equip and empower you with the tools you need to feel CONFIDENT that you can effectively support your son or daughter’s, and help them — and you — live the best and most meaningful life possible.
WHY WORK WITH ME
I began coaching parents using different theoretical approaches 20 years ago using group formats, who didn’t have the capability to personalize the content, and individual weekly sessions, which took 3-6 months to get to see the needed results. When you see your child struggling, you want to make it better for them fast and don’t have time to waist. This is precisely why I created the “Make it Better” Framework designed to personalize and provide you with the right tools in a short period of time so you can start helping your teen confidently as soon as you get home after our time together.
FUN FACTS
When I’m not “busy” coaching parents, I’m practicing what I preach- running around like most moms I know- while trying to raise my teens using the skills I’ll teach you so I’m able to create a meaningful life for myself and my family. In my free time, you can find me exercising, reading a good book, having a nice dinner or relaxing by the beach. During weekends, I always try to stay active and are constantly looking for the next “adventure” that I can share with friends and family. Regardless of if this means a day trip, movies, bbq, ocean time, playing board games/cards, traveling or going to the new restaurant in town, there is nothing I enjoy more than building on positive experiences and sharing meaningful moments with genuine, fun, loving and caring people.
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND & EXPERIENCE
BA in Psychology, Georgetown University (1992)
MA & PhD in Clinical Psychology, Carlos Albizu University (2003)
Certified DBT Clinician- DBT-Linehan Board of Certification
Certified Bullying Prevention Trainer, Clemson University
Primary Therapist (Intern), First Hospital Panamericano, Inpatient Psychiatric Facility (2003)
Lead Online Content Developer- Social/Emotional & Mental Health, School Climate Solutions, LLC.
Entrepreneurship Development Programs- MIT, Stanford University and Babson University
Consultant for Non-for-Profit Organizations: Sandy Hook Foundation, Active Parenting, Ricky Martin Foundation & Character Counts
Foundational Training in Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Behavioral Tech
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy Skills Training for Adolescents with Multiple Problems, Behavioral Tech