Nice to meet you, I'm Dr. Bryan
I am Dr. Bryan O. Rojas-Araúz, a bilingual and bicultural licensed psychologist.
I'm an immigrant of Costa Rican and Panamanian descent. I grew up between cultures, and carry my Afroindigenous identity with pride. I provide services rooted in integrating psychological practice with ancestral healing, indigenized frameworks, and social justice into trauma and culturally responsive therapy, education, and organizational change.
Through my practice and community work, I integrate Western psychology with ancestral healing traditions, Indigenous wisdom, and culturally grounded practices. My approach is relational, collaborative, trauma responsive, and rooted in cultural understanding. I believe healing happens not only at the individual level, but in relationship & community.
When I’m not in session or teaching, I’m creating with my hands—woodworking, glass blowing, spending time in nature, and being in community with loved ones.
My mission: to help you heal, grow, and reconnect with yourself and others.
My path to healing and social justice
My interest in psychotherapy began in community college as I navigated academia as a first-generation immigrant unsure of my path. Years later, I found myself applying to doctoral programs in Counseling Psychology, driven by a desire to serve my community and support others on their healing journeys. I deeply believe psychotherapy can profoundly transform our lives—but I also know it’s not always easy to find the right therapist or open up to a stranger. That’s why I’m here: to walk alongside you with compassion and understanding.
My path to healing and social justice
Activism and community organizing
From a young age, I discovered the importance of speaking up. In California, I participated in social movements, supporting immigrant communities and fighting for youth rights. It was here that my commitment to social justice was born.
Academic and cultural training
I trained as a clinical psychologist, always integrating my Afro-Indigenous and bilingual identity as an essential part of my practice. Each step in my education reinforced my vision of supporting people from a multicultural and human perspective.
Psychology in action
With years of experience, I began developing programs and therapies that united science, spirituality, and community. I worked with people from different cultures and backgrounds, building bridges of understanding and resilience.
Educator, psychologist and diversity advocate
Today, I accompany individuals and communities in their healing journeys, while promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in mental health. My mission remains the same: to create safe spaces where every person can flourish.
Commitment to healing and diversity
As a bilingual, bicultural Afroindigenous immigrant, I bring curiosity and genuine care to my clinical work and supervision, honoring the diverse experiences of everyone I serve. To me, counseling and education are powerful tools for healing and vehicles for social justice. I emphasize self-reliance, self-discovery, and collaboration—taking on the role of a compañero or fellow traveler who partners with you in a respectful, open dialogue
I see therapy as a shared journey. It would be an honor to accompany you in your process of healing and self-discovery. I invite you to schedule a free consultation to learn more and connect.
This commitment is reflected in my daily work:
Inclusive Healing
My lived experiences as a man of color, immigrant, and first-generation professional deeply inform how I understand identity, trauma, and healing. I offer therapy that is trauma and culturally responsive, centered on your personal and cultural story.
Diversity Celebrated
I welcome people from all walks of life, across identities, cultures, abilities and lived experiences, who are seeking a safe, affirming, and non-judgmental space for healing, growth, and self-discovery.
Social Justice
I create a collaborative, affirming, and social justice-oriented therapeutic space. My approach is affirming of your lived experiences, strength-based, liberatory, transformative, and trauma and culturally responsive —designed to foster lasting positive change.
A comprehensive approach to your well-being
I integrate evidence-based, culturally responsive and relational approaches to meet you where you are — mind, body, heart, culture, and spirit.
Acceptance & Commitment Therapy
Value and Action Driven
ACT helps you develop a more compassionate relationship with your thoughts and emotions, instead of fighting or avoiding them.
Together, we focus on helping you clarify your values, set meaningful goals, and take steps toward the life you want — even when things feel hard.
Multicultural Feminist therapy
Culturally Responsive & Identity-Affirming
This approach centers your identity, culture, and lived experience. We explore how systems like race, gender, immigration, religion, and socioeconomic status shape your life and mental health. Together, we honor your story, challenge harmful narratives, and work toward healing in a way that respects your power, voice, and cultural roots.
Interpersonal Process therapy
Relational & Communication-Focused
This approach focuses on relationships — with others and with yourself. We explore how past and present relationships have shaped how you feel, communicate, set boundaries, and connect.
The goal is to help you build healthier, more honest, and more fulfilling relationships through deeper understanding and emotional healing.
Positive Psychology
Strength-Based for Growth & Resilience
Instead of only focusing on what hurts, this approach also focuses on what’s strong within you.
We work to identify your strengths, resilience, joy, and sources of meaning so you can not just survive, but feel more grounded, hopeful, and fulfilled in your life.
Gestalt Integrative
Holistic Mind-Body Trauma Therapy
This is a holistic, somatic, mind-body approach grounded in the present moment.
Together, we bring awareness to your thoughts, emotions, body sensations, and past experiences to help you process trauma, reconnect with yourself, and strengthen your ability to feel safe, whole, and alive.
Eclectic Therapy
Integrative, Personalized Care
This approach means I don’t use a one-size-fits-all model.
Instead, I draw from different therapeutic tools and frameworks depending on your needs, goals, cultural background, and what works best for you — always moving at your pace.
Education, Training & Professional Community
Education
- University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine, Denver, CO --- Pre-Doctoral Resident Primary Care and Community Psychology
- Doctor of Philosophy, Counseling Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR --- Spanish Language Psychological Services and Research Specialization
- Master of Science, Counseling, Family and Human Services, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR --- Thesis: ¿Quien Soy y Adonde Voy? Ethnic Identity, Spanish Language Engagement, and Critical Consciousness
- Master of Science, Counseling, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA --- Specialization in Marriage, Family and Child Therapy Emphasis in College Counseling
- Bachelor of Arts, Psychology, San Jose State University, San Jose, CA --- Minor in Child and Adolescent Development.
Certificates & Trainings
- Drum Healing, Building, & Circle Facilitation 2025
- Circle Keeper Training 2024
- Certified Integrated Gestalt Therapist 2024
- Trauma Focused -CBT Consult 20 hour Certification 2022
- Secondary Trauma Resiliency Training 2021
- Intensive Cross-Cultural Communication and Mindful Facilitation 2019
Memberships
- National Latinx Psychological Association
- American Psychological Association Div: 17, 45, 56
- American Counseling Association
- Monarch Collective
- Therapist of Color Collective
Licenses
- Psy CO #005991
- NPI 1447744644
- PsyPact #14520
Online therapy with interstate reach
Thanks to PSYPACT, I can assist people in different states across the U.S. through telehealth. This certification expands my commitment to accessibility, eliminating geographical barriers and offering a safe space for healing, no matter where you are.
- Alabama
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Maine
- Maryland
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Northern Mariana Islands
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Let's talk and create your wellness space
Publications
Through my academic articles, essays, and collaborations, I work to bridge psychology with culture, social justice, and healing. My publications aim to uplift marginalized voices, deepen understanding, and inspire collective change.
Cadenas, G.A., Rojas-Araúz, B.O., Iyer, S., & Moreno, O. (2025). Supporting mental health amid uncertain immigration status: A higher education guide. Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration and National Latinx Psychological Association. https://www.higheredimmigrationportal.org/effective_practice/supporting-mental-health-amid-uncertain-immigration-status-a-higher-education-guide/
Werther E., Rojas-Araúz, B. O. & Atiliano, R., (2022) Somos Fuertes Pero También sufrimos – La Salud mental de hombres Latino: (We are strong but we also suffer- The mental health of Latino Men) in E. Delgado-Romero Latinx Mental Health: From Surviving to Thriving. IGI Global.
McWhirter, E.H., Yarris, K., & Rojas-Araúz, B. O. (2021). Description and Pilot Evaluation of a Dreamer Ally Training for Higher Education Staff and Faculty. Journal of Social Action in Counseling and Psychology.
Cadenas, G., Peña, D., Minero, L., Rojas-Araúz, B. O., & Lynn, N. (2021). Critical Agency and Vocational Outcomes Expectations as Coping Mechanisms Among Undocumented Immigrant Students. Journal of Latinx Psychology.
McWhirter, E.H., Cendejas, C., Fleming, M., Martinez, S., Mather, N., Garcia, Y., Romero, L., Ortega, R. I., & Rojas-Araúz, B. O. (2020). College and career ready and critically conscious: Asset-building with Latinx immigrant youth. Journal of Career Assessment.
McWhirter, E.H., Rojas-Araúz, B. O., Ortega, R. I., Combs, D., Cendejas, C., & McWhirter B. (2019). ALAS: An Intervention to Promote Career Development Among Latina/o Immigrant High School Students. Journal of Career Development, 46(6), 608–622.
Toporek, R. L., Sapigao, W., & Rojas-Araúz, B. O. (2016). Fostering the Development of a Social Justice Perspective and Action: Finding a Social Justice Voice. In C. M. Alexander, J. M. Casas, L. A. Suzuki, & M. Jackson (Eds.), Handbook of multicultural counseling (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.
Rojas-Araúz, B. O. (2014). “I Am” poem on the Latinx immigrant experience in the U.S. In G. L. Orozco, W. L. Lee, J. A. Blando & B. Shooshani (Eds.), Introduction to multicultural counseling for helping professionals (3rd ed.) (pp. 117-118). New York, NY: Routledge.
Books
Toporek, R., Aluwhalia, M., Bines, D., & Rojas-Araúz, B. O., (2025) Workbook for Social Action for Counselor, Psychologist, & Helping Professionals Through Strength, Solidarity, Strategy, and Sustainability. Cognella Press
In Progress
Toporek, R. L., Aluwhalia, M., & Rojas-Araúz, B. O. (Revisions). The Role of Frameworks in Counseling and Advocacy. In S. Golden & A. Harrison’s (Eds.), Culturally Responsive Leadership and Advocacy in Counseling and School Counseling: Practical Strategies for Students, Educators, and Practitioners.. Cognella Press.
Rojas-Araúz, B. O. & Combs, D., (Submitted). Remember, Reclaim, and Reconnect: Latine Radical Mindfulness. In Liang, C. T. H., Harrell, S., & Kohler, B. (Eds.), Radical Mindfulness: Promoting Racial Healing and Systems-Level Change. American Psychological Association Press.
Rojas-Araúz, B. O., Combs, D., & McWhirter, E.H. (In preparation). Dreaming of careers: Career counseling with undocumented students, transferable skills, and other solutions.
Rojas-Araúz, B. O., Chronister, K., & Combs, D. (In preparation). Living in academia’s multiple marginalizations: Counseling first generation female immigrant college students.
Somos Fuertes Pero También sufrimos - La Salud mental de hombres Latino: (We are strong but we also suffer- The mental health of Latino Men) in E. Delgado-Romero Latinx Mental Health: From Surviving to Thriving. IGI Global.
Description and Pilot Evaluation of a Dreamer Ally Training for Higher Education Staff and Faculty. Journal of Social Action in Counseling and Psychology.
Critical Agency and Vocational Outcomes Expectations as Coping Mechanisms Among Undocumented Immigrant Students. Journal of Latinx Psychology.
College and career ready and critically conscious: Asset-building with Latinx immigrant youth. Journal of Career Assessment.
ALAS: An Intervention to Promote Career Development Among Latina/o Immigrant High School Students. Journal of Career Development, 46(6), 608–622.
Fostering the Development of a Social Justice Perspective and Action: Finding a Social Justice Voice. In C. M. Alexander, J. M. Casas, L. A. Suzuki, & M. Jackson (Eds.), Handbook of multicultural counseling (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.
“I Am” poem on the Latinx immigrant experience in the U.S. In G. L. Orozco, W. L. Lee, J. A. Blando & B. Shooshani (Eds.), Introduction to multicultural counseling for helping professionals (3rd ed.) (pp. 117-118). New York, NY: Routledge.
Workbook for Social Action for Counselor, Psychologist, & Helping Professionals Through Strength, Solidarity, Strategy, and Sustainability. Cognella Press
Dreaming of careers: Career counseling with undocumented students, transferable skills, and other solutions.
Living in academia’s multiple marginalizations: Counseling first generation female immigrant college students.
Podcast, film and audiovisual works
I've participated in audiovisual projects that amplify stories of resilience and diversity. From podcasts to film and video, I use these mediums to bring mental health and inclusion to a wider audience.
Rojas-Araúz, B. O. (2025). Latinos in the Move with Christopher Temblador – Latino Mental Health.
Rojas-Araúz, B. O. (2025). Latine ADHD Podcast with Dr. Castro – Discussing ADHD and Latine Parenthood.
Rojas-Araúz, B. O. (2024). The first Generation Psychologist Podcast with Dr. Sanchez – Discussing Racial Trauma.
Rojas-Araúz, B. O. (2020). Duck Tails: Stories from around the O. Podcast
Rojas-Araúz, B. O. appearing in Toporek, R. L., Ahluwalia, M. K., & Robey, E. (Producers). (2019). Helping Counselors and Psychologists as Advocates and Activists: Strength, Solidarity, Strategy and Sustainability. Alexander Street Microtraining Associates. Alexandria, VA.
Rojas-Araúz, B. O. (2019). UO DREAMer Scholarship. https://duckfunder.uoregon.edu/DREAMers
Rojas-Araúz, B. O. (2018). Mapuche Warrior. Documentary presented at Community Alliance of Lane County Environmental and Indigenous Rights Defense, Eugene, OR.
Rojas-Araúz, B. O. (2018). 10 Stages of Genocide. Documentary presented at Introduction to Documentary Filmmaking Screening, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR.
Combs, D. & Rojas-Araúz, B. O. (2017, June). DREAMless. Documentary presented at Latino Roots Documentary Film Screening, Eugene, OR. https://vimeo.com/221658847
Duck Tails: Stories from around the O. Podcast
Helping Counselors and Psychologists as Advocates and Activists: Strength, Solidarity, Strategy and Sustainability. Alexander Street Microtraining Associates. Alexandria, VA.
UO DREAMer Scholarship. https://duckfunder.uoregon.edu/DREAMers
Mapuche Warrior. Documentary presented at Community Alliance of Lane County Environmental and Indigenous Rights Defense, Eugene, OR.
10 Stages of Genocide. Documentary presented at Introduction to Documentary Filmmaking Screening, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR.
DREAMless. Documentary presented at Latino Roots Documentary Film Screening, Eugene, OR. https://vimeo.com/221658847
