Cristal is a licensed mental health counselor in the state of Florida. Over the past years, Cristal has worked with a wide range of individuals, ranging from children to teenagers and adults. Are you feeling depressed, anxious, or just stuck? Are you ready to shift unhelpful patterns? Her goal is to empower you to build self-worth and overall become a better version of yourself. Cristal completed her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Florida Memorial University and received her Master of Science degree in Mental Health Counseling from Nova Southeastern University. Her areas of expertise include working with a diverse population; she aims to empower individuals in making life-altering changes through insight and self-awareness. In a non-judgmental and supportive manner, she utilizes a collaborative and holistic approach to help individuals process emotions, understand themselves, and make positive changes that they are comfortable with. Please allow Cristal to join you on your journey of healing and acceptance.
Manuel Mota-Castillo, MD: Manuel Mota-Castillo is a psychiatrist in Florida who has been practicing since 1996. He performed his psychiatric training at Massachusetts Mental Health Center, Beth Israel Medical Center in Boston, and Maricopa Medical Center, Phoenix, AZ, and completed his child and adolescent fellowship at the New York Medical College. Manuel uses a humanistic/pluralistic approach to his work with people in need of support with mental health distress. He follows the teachings of his mentors (Ronald Pies, Hagop Akiskal, Nassir Ghaemi, Arnaldo Espaillat Cabral, Frederick Goodwin, Pauline Kernberg, Hector Pereyra Ariza, and Nina Lief), from whom he learned to see the person as a whole and to obtain a correct diagnosis to prescribe the right medication. Also, Manuel has cultivated the art of listening with an open mind. He did an internship in pediatrics, followed by training in psychiatry (adults and children/adolescents) and family therapy. Until the end of 2022, Manuel was involved in the teaching of psychiatry as a chair of psychiatry at a medical school in New Mexico and, more recently, as an assistant professor at two medical schools in Orlando, FL. He frequently writes on psychiatric topics (three books and dozens of articles in psychiatric journals). In the Dominican Republic, Manuel was a columnist, broadcaster, and, at one point, an anchorman. At present, he records educational videos that are posted on YouTube. In Central Florida, Colombia, Puerto Rico, and Santo Domingo, some therapists seek second opinions from Manuel when they or their patients have doubts about prescribed medications and/or diagnoses. He believes he has accumulated enough interviewing experience and knowledge of psychopharmacology to offer evaluations and treatments (based on the most updated information) on the following areas: mood fluctuations, impulsiveness, poor anger control, persistent depression, impaired attention span, psychosis, unhealthy eating habits, remnants of traumatic experiences, discomfort in social situations, obsessions, autistic features, and a few others. Manuel uses a highly effective interviewing technique that, in tandem with a strong knowledge of psychopharmacology, guarantees an accurate diagnosis and adequate treatment. Furthermore, by being bilingual (English and Spanish), Manuel can help those patients who are Spanish-speaking only. In his spare time, Manuel enjoys growing tropical fruit trees, playing ping pong, watching movies, and writing books and articles.
