From very early in his college years, Michael began volunteering as a conversation partner with multiple community programs, harm-reduction initiatives, and local homeless outreach programs to provide direct educational services to the homeless population and individuals with problematic substance use disorders and co-occurring disorders. As part of his responsibilities, he engaged the individuals in conversations in hopes to educate them about available services, encourage them to seek the necessary help, and facilitate the intake process into treatment programs. These experiences inspired him and developed a keen passion to help individuals struggling with mental health, trauma, and substance use disorders to be able to reconnect with themselves and gain control of their lives.
During his thesis work, Michael completed his dissertation by designing an intervention model through EEG Neurofeedback protocols as a treatment for problematic substance use disorders in Puerto Rico. In addition to his research work, he has completed multiple professional certifications to better understand the complex work when addressing substance use and/or mental health disorders. Michael has worked providing psychotherapy services to children, adolescents, adults, couples and families where he has served in various settings including, but not limited to, hospitals, residential treatment, intensive outpatient programs, rehabilitation centers, detoxification centers, community treatment programs, forensic/correctional facilities, and teletherapy, in Puerto Rico, California, and Colorado.
Michael received his Doctorate Degree in Clinical Psychology from an APA Accredited Program at Carlos Albizu University in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He is a fully bilingual Clinical Psychotherapist, and in his years of experience, he has gained exceptional skills to provide mental health services in English and Spanish.