Get to Know Ismael Ramirez (He|Him)

Ismael smiling in his office.

Psychology Intern

Ismael Ramirez (he/him/his), is a bilingual (Spanish and English speaking) intern in Doctoral Psychology at CAPS center on Calhoun Street. He achieved a bachelor’s degree from the University of Puerto Rico, Ponce Campus and is completing a doctoral internship for his PhD degree from Ponce Health Sciences University.

Ismael’s therapeutic approach is generally from contextual, behavioral and humanistic theories. He’s interested in working with students who feel or think they have symptoms of depression, anxiety or managing unpleasant emotions and nonsuicidal self- injury (NSSI). He believes therapy is constructed by teamwork, where the student is the expert of their story, and the therapist comes along as an “outside observer” to work together so the student evolves to their best version.

When not at work, Ismael likes to play videogames, doing weightlifting, exploring coffee sites, watching comedy series like HIMYM and Ted Lasso. When he needs to take time for himself, he takes a short imaginary vacation, closing his eyes and thinking he’s on a calm beach with the sun light hitting and warming his skin.

My favorite movie about mental health and why: Inside out 1 and 2, it has helped me connect with my younger self and helped me explain emotions and memories in a simple way.

An app I downloaded for my own mental health: Calm, Insight timer

A book that has impacted me: Man’s search for meaning (Viktor Frankl), Happiness Trap (Russ Harris), The mindful couple (Robyn Walser, Darrah Westrup)