Marianela Medrano, PhD

Dr. Marianela Medrano was born and raised in the Dominican Republic and has lived in Connecticut since 1990. A poet and a writer of nonfiction and fiction, she holds a PhD in psychology. Her literary work as appeared in numerous anthologies and magazines in Latin America, Europe, and the United States. She is the founder of Palabra Counseling & Training Center, LLC. Her TEDTALK at Ursuline College speaks about her work and research on the Taino people: youtube.com.

Dr. Medrano has trained in mindfulness and spirituality in a variety of settings. She is a mindful eating instructor/facilitator. Additionally, she is a certified mindfulness meditation teacher with Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield through The Sounds True Foundation, a program for teaching awareness and compassion-based practices. She serves as a mentor/supervisor for the International Federation for Biblio/poetry therapy, IFBPT.

Dr. Medrano has lectured in many countries, including Spain, India, Colombia, El Salvador, Panama, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico. She has worked with various populations and on various mental health issues, including drug and alcohol addiction, eating disorders, depression, anxiety, and family/marriage counseling.

In 2023, Dr. Medrano received a grant from the Bess Family Foundation, which she is using to investigate mindfulness as a vehicle to advance ecological initiatives focused on interspecies care in the Dominican Republic.

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Marianela Medrano maintains a private practice and has an employment relationship with South-Western College. She receives a grant from the Bess Family Foundation. Marianela Medrano receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Marianela Medrano is a member of the American Psychological Association, the American Counseling Association, and the Connecticut Counseling Association. She is a blogger with the American Counseling Association.