My Story ~ I have lived the immigrant bicultural experience coming to the US with my parents and siblings fromCuba in1968 as part of the "Freedom Flights" - I truly won the Lottery! Landing in New Jersey and experiencing all the complexities of cultural assimilation. It was my love and appreciation for my adopted country led me to enlist in the Marine Corps in 1982 ~ and what an adventure followed!
Twenty-five years of hard core, top quality character building, leadership and organizational skill development.Today as a retired Marine, with a distinguished career behind me, I have the foundation of high expectations of character, behavior, discipline and organization ~ tempered with empathy and understanding of our human frailty. My experience leading and supporting Marines through training, deployments, and career transitions is instrumental in my counseling work today as are my language and cultural skills.
In my second career as a Therapist I work with individuals, couples and families navigating Real Life!
The struggles of transitions; aging, education, career, marriage, divorce, death, birth and more - each can be faced with compassion and pragmatism. As an experienced clinician I am there to help sort through and develop strategies to address the emotional, mental and physical issues - while challenging and providing counsel.
Through Praxis Wellness LLC we provide a range of wellness services and counseling tailored to support veterans, first responders, professional sports organization's athletes, staff and families. As theEmployee Assistant Program Director to the Toronto Blue Jays and the Atlanta Braves Major League Baseball organizations, I am passionate in supporting and working with men and their families as they navigate life's challenges in a highly competitive stressful environment.
The integration of professional training, education and experiences position me to be uniquely qualified to advise and provide education to organizations and government agencies on issues of mental health and wellness. And, as a parent of four, now adult children and a step-father to a blossoming beautiful teenage daughter I've acquired a wealth of knowledge and scars from the trenches, in the realm of family life. To families with children struggling with issues due to separations, divorce and blended families, I am a competent ally.