Who We Are

Dr. Gonzalez earned her PhD and Master’s degree from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. In 2014 she moved to Seattle to become a faculty member in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program. Dr. Gonzalez is a faculty member in the master’s and doctoral programs at Antioch University Seattle, Chair of the Clinical Mental Health Counseling (CMHC) Program at AUS, and Co-Founder and Director of the Latinx Mental Health & Social Justice Institute. She currently serves as the president of the American Counseling Association (ACA) of Washington, assistant chair of the American Counseling Association International Committee, and board member for the Western Association for Counselor Education (WACES) and Journal of Technology in Counselor Education and Supervision (JTCES). She co-edited, Experiential Activities for Teaching Social Justice and Advocacy Competence in Counseling, and is currently working on her next book.

Dr. Santos Dietz obtained her Ph.D. in Counseling and Counselor Education at North Carolina State University and her M.Ed. in School Counseling from the State University of New York at Buffalo as a Fulbright scholar. She worked as a professor and program coordinator in her home country Honduras, at the Universidad Pedagógica Nacional Francisco Morazán, and as an assistant professor in counselor education at East Carolina University. Dr. Santos Dietz is currently an associate professor, Interim Associate Chair for the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Department at Antioch University New England, and Co-Founder/Director of the Latinx Mental Health & Social Justice Institute. She is a National Certified Counselor, and a Licensed School Counselor in the state of North Carolina. Her research, service, and teaching focus on cultural competence development, diversity, and social justice. She is particularly interested in examining how counselor educators support cultural competence development through local and global initiatives, and how the counseling profession serves historically marginalized populations, particularly Latinx communities. Dr. Santos Dietz serves as an editorial board member for the Professional Counselor Journal of School-based Counseling Policy and Evaluation.

Douglas is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor Associate and earned his Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Antioch University Seattle with certificates in Sex Therapy and Multicultural Counseling. He also earned a Master’s degree in Oriental Medicine from National University of Health Sciences in Chicago. Douglas also completed certificates in Curanderismo from The University of New Mexico focusing on Global influences on traditional healing. Currently, he is owner and chief clinician at Curativo Health in Seattle working with individuals and people in relationships experiencing challenges related to intimacy. He is also working on his first book. Douglas serves as Coordinator of the Latinx Mental Health & Social Justice Institute. He is a member of National Latinx Psychological Association (NPLA), American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists (AASECT), and Washington Mental Health Counselors Association (WMHCA).

Cathy is a seasoned counselor, educator and leader in the study and practice of trauma, wellness, and resilience. She has been a clinical mental health counselor for 25 years working with both children and adults, specializing in those who have experienced trauma. Currently, Cathy serves as an Associate Professor in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program and past Chair of the Applied Psychology Department at Antioch University New England. She founded Antioch’s Institute on Wellness, providing consultation and training nationally on the mitigation of secondary traumatic stress. Cathy serves as Advisor of the Latinx Mental Health & Social Justice Institute.

Dr. Swazo has served as a school counselor in private and public schools, college counselor, and as a mental health consultant for private practice and non-profit organizations. He is a full professor at the school and mental health counseling program at the University of Northern Iowa (UNI), Cedar Falls, and has served as Program Director at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) in Tallahassee, Florida, Roosevelt University (RU) in Chicago, and University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls. He currently holds a Professional Service License (PSL, K-12) in the state of Iowa. Dr. Swazo is a frequent speaker at professional conferences and conducts workshops throughout the United States and abroad on multicultural issues and psycho-bilingual training (teaching basic Spanish interventions) for schools and mental health agencies. He has been keynote speaker in Mexico, Puerto Rico, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Russia, Spain, Romania, Czech Republic, and Italy. He also teaches frequently as an invited professor at the Universidad del Valle in Guatemala in the school and mental health programs. He is a former Fulbright Scholar at the University of Palermo, Italy where he lived for a period of time. Dr. Swazo is a dual citizen from the European Union (Spain) and the USA. He has a co-authored book with Routledge focusing on Narrative Therapy interventions with Spanish-speaking clients to be published in September 2022. 

Mariela is a Queer, Latinx therapist and Teaching Faculty and Latinx Mental Health Specialist at Antioch University Santa Barbara. Additionally, they serve as Executive Director at the Community Counseling and Education Center (CCEC) with over 15 years of experience in the field of mental health. They find their many roles help them fulfill the mandate of caring for the community and they are deeply committed to the well-being of their students and clients. Mariela believes in the power of culture, connection, nature and community to heal and strives to support others on their journeys in ways that resonate and empower while also honoring ancestors and supporting future generations