Marcela Rodriguez, Practicum Student

Hello there! My name is Marcela Rodriguez, and I am pursuing my Masters of Education in Marriage Couple & Family Counseling at Lamar University. I earned my Bachelors of Science in Psychology at the University of Houston (GO COOGS)! Currently, I look forward to completing my Masters and obtaining further training in Child-Centered Play Therapy. I am truly passionate about the human experience – the good, the bad, and the ugly.  

I moved to Houston from Venezuela at the age of nine. Since then, I have been navigating what it means to be both Venezuelan and American and how those two parts of my identity weave together to make me, ME. I have a special spot for multicultural clients walking through this journey of figuring out who they are, while respecting and acknowledging all aspects of themselves.  

As I work with children, teens, adults, couples, and families. I take a client centered approach. This means in my work I show empathy, create harmony, and provide unconditional positive regard to each individual client I meet. I firmly believe that we are the ultimate experts of our own life. In my therapeutic process I walk side by side with my clients through their journey of self-discovery and becoming the person they are meant to be.  

I cherish supporting clients in the healing journey of learning to come home to ourselves. Sometimes growing up we learn to adapt and survive according to our life experiences. In survival mode we might learn to tune out important signals that our bodies give us. Although these tendencies are coping mechanisms used to get us through difficult times, they may not serve us in the long term. The inability to listen to ourselves could lead to burn out, exhaustion, anxiety, and depression. I love working with clients through the process of looking inward, tuning themselves in, and learning how to create internal safety after experiencing trauma in their life.  

I love empowering and equipping families to function better as a unit. The concept of Family is very important to me, I focus on looking at the family as a whole system and how each individual part may impact our immediate family. In therapy we will focus on how to communicate effectively, build connection, establish healthy boundaries, and promote problem solving skills. 

I find working with children so refreshing and rewarding due to the authenticity they bring to the therapy room. I specifically enjoy working with kids who struggle with perfectionistic tendencies, low self esteem, anxiety, and Panic Attacks. 

Talk therapy is extremely effective and I like to include other modalities to access different parts of the brain. Some of these modalities include creative arts, sand tray, and play therapy. Looking forward to talking to you soon. 

 

If you have any questions about me or about counseling at our office please feel free to contact me. I look forward to speaking with you!