Angel Suarez, LMFT, ABS
Founder, Clinical Director/Supervisor & Psychotherapist
Welcome!
Angel Suarez is a New York based mental health practitioner, specifically a licensed marriage and family therapist, providing therapy for individuals, friendships, couples/throuples, and families. As the founder of Empower Psychotherapy MFT, their goal is to create inclusive treatment to support a wide range of clinical and mental health issues, as well as help with diverse relationship problems.
Angel specializes in helping survivors of sexual trauma and providing adults only with sex therapy related to desire discrepancy and sexual dysfunctions. Angel also specializes in queer and trans mental health providing gender affirming therapy for adolescents, adults and their families. They work with all types of families (adoptive, single-house hold, etc.) and relationships (polyamory and monogamy), recognizing the importance of diversity and identity within one's life.​​ Also as a board certified sexologist, they provide adults only with education and techniques around deepening their sexual empowerment. By teaching practical tools, Angel can support adults understand their sexual needs and desires.​
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Angel loves yoga, reading, and spending time with their family and friends. As a proud queer and gender nonconforming LatinX individual, Angel is committed to supporting others be their authentic self and live the life they want.
Education
Angel is currently completing their doctorate degree in Marriage and Family Therapy, where they concentrate on providing supervision to pre-licensed mental health professionals.​ Angel obtained their master's degree in Marriage and Family Therapy and also earned graduate certificates in Sex Therapy and Queer & Trans Mental Health. They also have a Master of Education in Adolescent Education and a graduate certificate in PreK-12 School Social Work.
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During their graduate training, Angel practiced at two internships to be able to establish multiple specializations and work with different types of populations of people. Angel has extensive clinical experience working with children and adolescents. Angel completed an internship serving high school students at a Manhattan independent school specializing in language-based learning disabilities. They also gained post-graduate licensing hours training in child welfare in the Bronx working with high risk ACS cases. As a lead family therapist in child welfare, Angel provided in-home support to children (birth–17) and their families to reduce abuse and maltreatment risk while addressing behavioral issues, parent-child conflict, truancy, substance use, and gang violence. Then as a licensed practitioner, in the role of School Mental Health Clinician, Angel led a school counseling program supporting elementary and middle school students at a Brooklyn-based PreK-12 independent school. Angel also developed a school-based mental health program and served as the lead clinician and program coordinator for an Achievement First charter middle school in Brooklyn. ​Angel has over a decade of experience in education as a teacher for middle school and high school in NYC public and private schools.
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Angel also has diverse clinical training working with adults from their years providing psychotherapy in private practice and outpatient clinical settings. They completed a graduate internship and post-graduate training in two private practice settings, supporting clients with anxiety, depression, sexuality, LGBTQ+ issues, grief, major life transitions, family issues, and problems around dating and relationships. Angel received their AASECT sex therapy skills training hours from California Institute of Integral Studies and completed their professional sex therapy clinical experience under a certified sex therapist. ​Angel is nationally certified by the American Board of Sexology as a Certified Sexologist. Angel also was the family therapist supporting the young adult and family co-occurring mental health/substance use SAMSHA program in an Article 822 outpatient clinic in Harlem. There they helped patients who experienced addiction, major depressive disorder, and trauma, as well as others within the legal system who presented with symptoms of Bipolar, personality disorders and severe schizophrenia. ​ ​
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In addition to managing the Empower Psychotherapy private practice, Angel is also currently the Clinical Director of a Counseling Center for a performing arts college.​
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Clinical Training & Experience
Certificates
Graduate Certificate:
Sex Therapy
from California Institute of Integral Studies
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Graduate Certificate:
Queer & Trans Mental Health
from Fairfield University
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Certification:
Functional Family Therapy Child Welfare (FFT-CW)
from Functional Family Therapy LLC ​
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Graduate Certificate:
PreK-12 School Social Worker
from Colorado State University
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Licensing
New York State Education Department:
Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist
# 002375​
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American Board of Sexology:
Clinical Sexologist
# 24513
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New York State Education Department:
English Language Arts 7-12
Professional Teaching Certification
