Staff Highlight: José Rosario, Therapist & Advocate for Healing
- Staff
- May 16
- 3 min read
At Compassionate Healing, we believe that exceptional care begins with exceptional clinicians—and we’re proud to shine a light on the incredible people who make our practice so impactful. This month, we’re highlighting José Rosario, a dedicated therapist and doctoral candidate whose work is rooted in justice, intersectionality, and person-centered healing.
José brings a deep commitment to honoring each client’s lived experience while helping them reconnect with hope, growth, and empowerment. From his clinical work with children, teens, and adults to his nonprofit advocacy and academic research, José is changing the way we think about mental health—both inside and outside the therapy room.
In this Q&A, José shares his passion for radical healing, why systems-level change is essential, and the therapeutic framework that guides his approach to supporting BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and other marginalized communities. Read on to get to know José and the values that inspire his work.
1. What made you want to become a mental health clinician?
I don’t believe that mental health is a one size fits all approach. I don’t believe that one approach will be right for all, so my goal is to uplift people in conversations about psychological wellness, especially the gender expansive, LGBTQ+, disabled, communities of color. It’s one of the honors of my life to walk with people on their journey and uplift and honor their experiences. By honoring someone’s personhood, we can tailor approaches to healing that move people towards the life that they want. It’s why I’m a therapist.
2. What are you most passionate about in regards to the work that you do?
I believe that as a psychologist I have to be at the intersection of a scholar, a clinician, and an activist. It’s my job to promote change in folks and I started my nonprofit, The Phoenix Empowered, because I don't believe it's enough to just hear and validate people, but we should be supporting people more in taking action. If we don’t do the work to change the systems that are causing harm, we perpetuate coping through suffering rather than through healing. It is necessary to instead intervene by increasing access to healthcare, to housing, nutrition, and other systemic changes. I want people to heal, not just cope through harm.
3. What sets you apart from others in the field?
I believe that I am very lucky that I have been affirmed to show up as who I am as a therapist. I bring all the parts that are me and that I am passionate about into the room. I care about what my clients want and how we are going to get to that point together. I also believe that I am the product of some great healers and thought leaders that I’ve met through my work in academic medical centers, higher education, and with the American Psychological Association (APA). I hope to contribute to work that promotes wellbeing and safety.
4. What is your favorite therapeutic skill, concept, or metaphor that you like to use in your sessions?
I adore the Psychology of Radical Healing (PRH) Framework, which is a psychological framework that incorporates and honors aspects of intersectionality, liberation psychology, black psychology, and ethnopolitical psychology. This framework underscores how minoritized communities engage in meaning-making, connecting to the community, and taking action towards change as a means of healing. One additional component of the PRH framework involves the process of finding hope even when painful things are happening. I believe therapists are holders of hope and we hope for our clients when they feel they can’t!
About José Rosario
José Rosario is a doctoral candidate pursuing his Ph.D in clinical psychology. He is passionate about empowering clients to make meaningful change and support them in deepening their understanding of their journey in its fullness. He is committed to a person-centered approach that honors and validates the complexities of an individual’s experience. He provides individual psychotherapy to adults, adolescents, and children who are seeking support with traumatic experiences, mood disorders, anxiety/worry, and life concerns related to identity, invalidation, and interpersonal relationships. He utilizes treatment modalities such as Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), and expressive arts to support clients in moving towards the life they want.
Prior to graduate school, José received his B.A. in Psychology and a B.S. in Chemical Dependency & Addiction Studies at Rhode Island College and became a certified expressive arts facilitator. As a scholar, his research examines hate-based violence, cultural trauma, and healing in BIPOC and LGBTQ+ communities. Jose is passionate about activism and engages in nonprofit community work through The Phoenix Empowered. He serves as a disaster responder for the American Red Cross and is an Interdisciplinary Minority Fellow with the American Psychological Association.
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