Who Am I ?

My name is Margarita Rodriguez. I am a human services professional who specializes in working with children and families. In my human services work I assist families experiencing emotional, mental, physical, financial, social and safety concerns that put the family unit at risk for negative outcomes. As an advocate for families, I provide counseling, groups, stay up to date on community resources and bridge the gap between families and their community. My work is aimed at helping individuals and families see a path forward when barriers are in the way of their success. I keep families motivated and focused on goals, I am careful to nurture the dynamic between family members while stressors are occurring and being worked through. I am passionate about bringing a team mindset into families! 

I am also a Marriage and Family Therapy Intern completing my master's at Southern Connecticut State University. I chose Marriage and Family Therapy because I have experienced first hand the significant impact generation trauma in our families and communities can have. The systems-based approach of marriage and family therapy  allows families to assess individual needs and restructure their family's dynamic through individual, couple, sibling, family and even extended family session work. This approach navigates and maps through many systems that may play a role in the family’s functioning such as schools, courts, peers and community systems. 

Black Families Matter

As I continue working with families who have experienced trauma my focus is on family function. I aim to coach families on the use of coping and daily family functioning techniques, with the benefit of modeling the techniques in high pressure situations. I have worked with many families as they navigate through traumatic events in their lives. I am passionate about our community having access to in the moment safety planning and de-escalation techniques. I have experience in a range of crisis situations including domestic violence, high-risk behaviors in adults and teens, and in-home de-escalation.

I am currently working on bringing family coaching to families, creating opportunities for families to get on the same page about values, finances, goals and responsibilities of each member of the family unit. I have training in working with individuals in various lifespan development stages from infant to elders. I also have experience coaching families of children with autism while providing ABA services and have worked with families who have children with psychiatric diagnoses. 

My Therapeutic Style

In my work with individuals, I am a safe place for those on healing and self-identity journeys. My approach is trauma-informed and client-lead. Simply because I believe that as humans, we have the ability to recreate ourselves over and over as we adapt to our world and our circumstance. I encourage clients who have existential beliefs to explore and learn about the natural world around them and encourage the use of their gifts and knowledge in their healing journey. With a focus on existence and purpose I aim to incorporate life enhancing experiences and skills such as creativity, courage, spirituality, acceptance and autonomy.