Edna Rodriguez, PsyD
In 2013, I completed a pre-doctoral internship with participation in a standard Dialectical Behavioral Treatment (DBT) program along with a general hospital rotation responding to consults related to non-compliant and suicidal patients.
I graduated with academic distinction in the same year with a Doctorate of Clinical Psychology from the Ponce Health Sciences University in my native island of Puerto Rico.
Later that year, I engaged in the journey of becoming a psychologist in the United States. After completing post-doctoral supervision in a community mental health clinic that served the north end of downtown Springfield, Massachusetts, I obtained my license to work as psychologist in the state.
During my career in Massachusetts, I have collaborated with community health clinics facilitating behavioral health interventions to non-compliant with medical treatment patients who have both chronic mental and physical illness.
As a licensed clinical psychologist, I currently treat individuals, groups, couples and families who are coping with severe emotion dysregulation and high-risk behaviors. I facilitate therapy for those who live with Borderline Personality Disorder among other personality disorders. Additionally I perform psychological evaluations for youth who are under the care of the state due to unstable family environments. Other interests I have include substance use disorders, addictive behaviors, and human motivation.
Likewise I have great interest in the role of culture in clinical interventions for both the behavioral and medical field. Evidenced-based treatments are often confronted with the need for adaptation to an individual’s cultural background. Cultural aspects that are carried individually are modulated by personality factors that can impact the efficacy of clinical interventions. Knowing these factors and the interactions among them are areas in which I have research interests.
Working as a psychologist, I feel constantly challenged as the knowledge in this discipline never reaches a ceiling. I have had great teachers and mentors in my career - people who inspired me to teach. They motivated me to inspire others as they inspired me.
Therefore, encouraging curiosity in the study of personality, culture and human behavior are major goals that I have as a teacher of psychology. Teaching is a great addition to my role as a practitioner - to be a part of the formation of competent mental health professionals that can ultimately help to create a better society with their work in the field.