Today we’d like to introduce you to Nathanael Carela.
Nathanael, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I was born in Puerto Rico to parents from the Dominican Republic. That blend of cultures shaped me in many ways during my childhood. As the middle child of three boys, you would often find me singing and making music with of household items, playing kickball, tag, and racing bikes in the streets, or learning about nature and different cultures. At the age of 10, my family moved to Florida where I was immersed into a diversity of cultures from all-around the world living in Orlando. Now new languages, foods, music, and people groups provided me with experiences to be curious about myself and the uniqueness of each person. My family were part of a church community throughout my life and those experiences also allowed me to learn how to leave my comfort zone and treat others with respect, seeing them as equals.
By my mid-teen years, we moved to Tampa where I graduated from high school and went to the University of South Florida to pursue a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology. I was drawn to this field because of the ability to interact with people of all backgrounds and support them on their journey. While taking a survey of counseling professions course, I learned about the field of marriage and family therapy. I was sold by the approach of seeing people, not only as individuals, but as part of systems which included their family, culture, nation, and the many factors that influence their identity. Being an extrovert, I was excited that I didn’t have to choose a specific age group but instead I would be provided with tools to see individuals, couples. siblings, or even a whole family in a session!
I pursued a Masters of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy at Capella University, began my practicum and internships in 2014 and haven’t stopped counseling since. I had the privilege to work in multiple settings including in-home, community agency, group home, and private practice. I am grateful for the many colleagues, supervisors, and peers I met along the way. I began my private practice, Dialogo Therapy, in 2023 to provide individual, couples, and family therapy in English and Spanish, for those who prefer in-person in Metro Detroit, and online covering the state of Michigan.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I’ve faced my share of struggles, hurts, and traumas in life. Moving to the United States without family nearby, lacking English skills, under the poverty level, and entering a new school system was difficult. My parents took longer to acculturate which created additional stressors as I learned to navigate the American culture while maintaining my Hispanic heritage. The process of advocating for myself in school, applying for college, and establishing long-term friendships, the latter because our family moved often, highlight where I struggled.
After high school, my journey of acculturation only became more difficult as I began to acknowledge more of my Dominican heritage. Now having to work through blending the Puerto Rican, Dominican, and American streams of influence, I found myself lacking support in how to do so. My American identity, after spending all my teenage years here, was beginning to take shape in ways that also distanced parts of my identity from my origins.
Engaging in counseling, having mentors, and finding people groups with common interests truly helped ease some of the burdens. As I began to open up about my life experiences, I noticed people in my circles who had similar experiences. I felt seen as the weight “otherness” lessened and my compassion grew to see the struggles others endured that I had not. I continue to work through who I am and the way I influence people around me. But this strive for personal growth is helping me stay curious, open to change, and tuned to the human experience.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Dialogo Therapy?
At Dialogo Therapy I help people “connect through better dialogue.” Being a bilingual (Spanish/English) licensed marriage and family therapist, I chose a business name that reflects my aim to acknowledge and address the multifaceted human experience in each client. I help couples feeling disconnected and divided to strengthen their bond and grow closer again. I stand out for helping couples walk through the process of healing from infidelity, navigating separation/divorce, addressing conflict and communication deficits, and that feeling of “growing apart.”
I also specialize in Spanish speakers, multilingual couples, multicultural individuals/couples, people who practice religion/spirituality, and those experiencing anxiety, stress, and burnout. My clients who attend individual therapy often want to work through childhood experiences and improve their present relationships with one of their parents or family members. Others clients are working to establish better boundaries in their jobs/career, improve their quality of their romantic relationships, and addressing personal areas of feeling “stuck.”
My approach is short-term, evidenced based, and continues to adapt to current research in the field of psychology. I collaborate with clients to create targeted plans that address their presenting issues and areas of personal development for sustained growth.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
A key trait of my person-centered work is flexibility. While clinically assessing how my client presents at the start of each session, I often notice stressors or successes that can be leveraged to further clarify or work on their treatment plan. At times, the client also presents an “off schedule” topic or situation they want to address. I use these “off-schedule” situations to improve the quality of our work and therapeutic alliance. In addition, clients often compliment my personality for being engaging, warm, and personable.
Pricing:
- Accept Blue Cross Blue Shield and Blue Care Network for payment
- $195 for couples therapy (out of network/out of pocket)
- $175 for individual therapy (out of network/out of pocket)
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.dialogotherapy.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dialogotherapy
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dialogotherapy
