Have you ever asked yourself, “What’s the best that could happen?”
Approach
I was trained in a rigorous clinical science environment, and deeply value evidence-based approaches. However, your lived experience and your story is yours to tell, and I am committed to integrating empirically supported treatments with the client’s lived experience.
I am committed to meeting people where they are, and have a trauma-informed approach, where you are centered in your own healing. We exist every day in a context with others, our environment, and the world at large. I recognize the inherent complexity of life, and believe we are strongest when our relationships with ourselves, with each other, and with our community are healthy.
Meet Dr. Ro
Hello! I’m Dr. Ro (she, her, hers). I am based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Growing up in rural New Mexico, as the daughter of immigrants and working class laborers, values of compassion, equality and social justice have been instilled in me my whole life. I witnessed firsthand the isolating impact of untreated mental illness, as well as the profound impacts that poverty and disability can have on mental health. My whole life, I have sought to give back, and to help others. Doing what I do is an immense privilege, and I learn from the bravery and vulnerability of my clients every day. I love animals, especially my three rescue dogs, music, reading, gaming, cooking, and crafting.
Regarding my academic background, I was educated here in New Mexico. I was a first generation college student, and received my bachelor’s, master’s and Ph.D. at the University of New Mexico. I completed my internship and postdoctoral training at the Southwest Consortium (New Mexico VA Healthcare System). After completing my training, I worked in primary care for several years, and saw patients with a wide variety of presenting concerns. My clinical experience and expertise spans many settings, not limited to Motivational Interviewing Training and Consulting, inpatient/outpatient, chronic pain, systems redesign, health psychology & health behavior change, and LGBTQIA+ affirming care. I am often accompanied by my senior rescue dog Reina, pictured here.
Land Acknowledgement
As a visitor to and steward of this land, I acknowledge that we are on the unceded, traditional homelands of the Pueblos of Sandia and Isleta and the Tiwa-speaking Peoples. I acknowledge the historical and contemporary presence and experiences of the original communities of New Mexico—the Pueblo peoples, the Navajo Nation, and the Apache Nations. The Indigenous communities continue to persist despite historical and ongoing experiences of racism and other forms oppression. I honor the enduring relationship that exists between the Indigenous community and their traditional lands and am committed to learning how to be a better steward of the land.
If you or a loved one is in immediate danger, call 911. As suggested by the National Alliance on Mental Illness, notify the operator that it is a psychiatric emergency and ask for an officer trained in crisis intervention. For Albuquerque, call the Agora Crisis Center at 505-277-3013.